The Last of Us
by FriendsWithTheMonster
Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about. Season 3. Peter Hale/OC
1. Chapter 1

_**The Last of Us**_

_Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.**

**Chapter 1:**

Her hair was soaking wet, the small duffel bag hanging over her shoulder dripped from the torrential rain outside. Yet it didn't faze her. She had a plan, she was going to execute her plan but first, she needed a place to stay.

Lifting her hand up, she pressed the palm of her hand against the apartment door and contemplated what she was doing. She had been there a few times before, mostly with Derek, but now she was standing outside of his home, alone and soaking wet with no where else to go.

Taking a deep breath, Sydney knocked on the door, three firm wraps of her knuckles before she straightened up and brushed her wet locks back, over her shoulders. The small droplets of water were starting to soak into her leather jacket but the shine was still there, sparkling in the dimly lit hallway.

When the door opened just seconds later, she raised her eyebrows and squared her shoulders. Peter took one look at her, the soaking wet beta, and leaned lazily against the door frame, crossing his arms over his chest and smirking at her, clearly amused by her presence.

"Forgive me but I wasn't expecting guests tonight." He drawled, his eyes roaming over her sopping wet body.

"I need a place to crash." She forced the words out before she could rethink what she was doing. He nodded his understanding at her, clearly knowledgeable over what had happened between her and Derek. She figured he'd know already, for if Derek didn't tell him, he'd have known anyways. Peter always knew.

"What makes you think you're welcome here?"

"I don't know where else to go." She admitted sheepishly, hating that she had to ask him for anything.

She was always adamant on being independent but she didn't know of anywhere else where she'd be able to stay. Scott was out of the question, he liked her about as much as a stick in the eye. Stiles, maybe, but she'd then be asking the young man for way too much, they barely knew each other and plus, his father was the sheriff, that posed to be potentially problematic.

She wanted to show Derek she was every bit as competent as she could be, maybe leaving his pack was for the better. But she was now an omega, without any allies, except, she was hoping, Peter Hale.

"Naturally you go to the uncle of the alpha who you're trying to get away from."

"Okay well you tell me where I'm supposed to go. I have no money on me, no friends, nothing useful to my name except my damn car and if I sleep in it, I'll most likely be hunted down and slaughtered by morning."

"Feisty. I like that." He purred at her, uncrossing his arms and shifting his body away from the door.

"Can I stay here or not?"

He turned sideways in the door and waved her in, bowing briefly as she crossed the threshold. He reached out and set his hands on her shoulders, grabbing at her jacket slightly. She tensed in his hold, dropped her bag to the floor and then shrugged her shoulders backwards to let the leather jacket slip down her arms, Peter taking a firm hold of it in his hands before tossing it at a chair just inside the door. He bent over, snatched up her bag and wandered in front of her, motioning for her to follow him.

Sydney flipped her wet boots off and left them at the front door before taking a few long strides to catch up to him, falling in step just behind the older man. He glanced back at her, but turned his focus forward again as he stepped into a bedroom, a bedroom she could assume was his.

"Shocker, why would you have a spare bedroom." She muttered with a roll of her eyes, still watching him as he gingerly set her bag down on the bench seat at the end of his king sized bed.

"I never have company." He chirped back at her, turning to face her. "And certainly no one that would ever spend the night."

"At least I hope your couch is comfy."

"I've never had to find out personally."

"Well, thanks." She mumbled, hating herself more every second she was in his apartment.

"Of course."

She crossed her own arms over her chest and felt the wet fabric now press against her bare forearms, quickly being reminded that she was absolutely soaking wet. Peter cocked his head to the side and studied her, watching as she let out a loud and frustrated sigh. She was a strange woman, one of Derek's good friends, or at least she _was_. Peter originally wasn't entirely sure why his nephew hadn't scooped her up when he had the chance, but he was starting to piece it together, and only after her being in his apartment for a few minutes.

Sydney wasn't a good match for Derek. She was feisty, didn't take anyone else's shit and most definitely would not just lay down and take orders, especially not from the incompetent alpha that was his nephew. No, she'd be much better suited to someone who wouldn't take for granted her personality, her skills. No, she would definitely be better with a superior alpha.

Her lithe little body was perfect in every aspect, not an ounce of fat on her bones, just enough muscle to be visible, letting others know she was strong and proud of her body. Her curves we positively delicious, tiny little waist, wider hips, lean yet powerful thighs. He couldn't tell due to the cut of her jeans but he just knew the rest of her legs would be perfection. She was the perfect tool, a welcome addition to any pack, if only his stubborn young nephew knew what he had.

Her shoulders were broad yet still feminine, her t-shirt was tight enough that he didn't have to guess what her upper body looked like but loose enough that he wasn't presented with every curve, dip and line of her abdomen. Her soaking wet hair was behind her shoulders, pushed out of her face and he took a minute to take it all in.

Her face, like the rest of her, was absolute perfection. Every inch of skin smooth and flawless, no freckles, no moles, not a single mark. Her lips were enticing, a scrumptious tint of pink to them, not too large, perfect for her face. Suddenly he found himself wondering how easy it was to read her simply based on the position of her lips. She took her bottom lip into her mouth, lightly biting it as he continued to study her. She was nervous, a little uncomfortable maybe, anyone could see that, he didn't need her biting on her lip to tell.

When his eyes finally connected with hers, the vibrant electric blue sparkled back at him. Where the irises were normally a simpler brown colour, the eyes of a killer flashed, the steely cold of someone who had taken the life of an innocent.

"I had no idea." He murmured softly, now moving to step around her, getting ready to inspect the rest of her. If she was going to be staying with him, he'd at least make good use of the perfect woman standing in front of him.

"I was seventeen, it was an accident." She growled back at him, feeling the urge to defend her actions. He didn't know her story; he didn't have the right to judge her.

"Generally are."

She twisted her head, craned her neck to follow him as he stepped around behind her, his eyes moving up and down her body. The muscles in her shoulders tensed under his gaze, such obvious power in her shoulders, Peter nearly shivered at the ideas forming in his head. She'd be a wonderful addition to his non-existent pack, the first of many. With just a few small tweaks to her behaviour, she'd be the perfect beta. Derek clearly had no idea what she was capable of in the right hands.

"Have you ever considered alpha status?"

She jerked her entire body around and stared at him in utter disbelief. She had never been anything but loyal to the Hales, whoever the alpha was, it didn't matter. First Talia, then Laura, in a way, and Derek. She hadn't been in Beacon Hills during Peter's first reign at alpha, hearing stories was different than living them, but she had no doubt she'd follow him loyally. Killing people responsible for the fire, sure she knew it wasn't exactly the right thing to do but it didn't matter to her, as long as someone paid for their crimes.

"No." She answered shortly.

"Oh calm down, I didn't mean stealing it from dear old Derek."

"Right, fine, but why would I consider alpha status when I have an alpha."

"I think the correct word would be _had_, isn't that right Sydney?"

"Either way, I've been without an alpha for all of two hours, do you really think I would have considered alpha status in that time because I'm pretty sure I was frantically trying to find somewhere to stay." She growled at him, leaning forward in a lame attempt to intimidate Peter. She knew it wouldn't even fizz on him.

"So much potential." He bared his teeth, smirking at her.

"Right, I'll just go after one of the alphas running around Beacon Hills, kill them and steal their alpha status, because that's not a suicide mission at all." She shot back, her voice laced with sarcasm.

"That's where I come in."

"I don't want to _be_ an alpha if it involves teaming with you."

"I can respect that."

"Good, now if you'll excuse me I'm a little wet." She huffed at him, glancing down at her soaking wet clothes.

"Oh I bet you are."

"Gross." She rolled her eyes.

Peter shook his head at her before wandering out of his bedroom, leaving her alone to change into something a little less waterlogged.

_**XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX**_

Fairly early the next morning, Sydney tugged the door on the fridge open and poked her head inside, looking for some sort of breakfast. It wouldn't have taken much to satiate her hunger, a lot of times she skipped breakfast, either because she slept in later or simply because she wasn't hungry at such an early hour.

Her eyes scanned the shelves inside the fridge and she knitted her brows together, wondering what the hell Peter Hale ate considering there wasn't much in his fridge. She dropped down into a squatting position, trying to get a better look in the appliance and found something she could at least work with to create some sort of decent breakfast.

She cradled the eggs in her palm as she rose up to her feet, the fridge door swinging shut. She glanced backwards to meet Peter's curious gaze. He had perched himself on the tall bar stool at the island. She had noticed the small stack of books resting on the top the night before but hadn't said anything. This morning, one of the books was open in front of him, as well as the local newspaper. It was barely past eight in the morning and he was already showered, dressed and reading the paper. Sydney let out a sigh, loving the feel of her pajamas in the mornings and not understanding why anyone, especially the man in her presence, would give up the comfort willingly.

"If I make French toast, will you eat it?" She asked, unsure of his feelings towards her being in his kitchen, using his food to make herself breakfast.

"French toast sounds good."

"Good." She nodded firmly, hating how it felt to be invading someone else's space.

It didn't matter that he had agreed to let her stay in his apartment, or even that he had told her to 'make herself at home', sarcastically she was sure, but poking her head into his fridge searching for something to eat just felt wrong. She wasn't comfortable being invasive, but Peter hadn't made any move to suggest he'd be a gracious host.

"I'm sure there's bacon or sausages in their somewhere if you feel up to it."

"Bacon?" She cocked her head to the side, wondering if he was teasing her for being in his kitchen, acting as if it were her own space.

"I'm not saying you have to make it but I'm sure it's in there if you want it."

"Do you want bacon?" She shot back, trying to figure out what his angle was.

"If you're offering to cook it, yes."

"I guess I can make bacon."

There was an awkward air between them. She was trying to tread lightly in his presence, not wanting to give him a reason to kick her out, especially since she hadn't had time to find somewhere else to go. For now, she'd stick to trying not to be invasive or annoying and hope that he'd not get fed up with her and let her stay. Especially not now that she had already spent her first night on her own in the safety of his apartment.

Setting the eggs on the counter, Sydney then twisted her body, moving back to the fridge. She pulled the door open and crouched down, her eyes scanning the shelves once again. Spying the meat drawer, she pulled it open and shoved a few packages of cold cuts to the side, her gaze landing on the aforementioned bacon.

Minutes later, standing in front of the stove, Sydney worked two pans, one with bacon frying in it, the other with three pieces of French toast cooking up nicely. She held a spatula for the French toast in one hand, which she had rooted through the drawers to find, and a fork for the bacon in the other. Her hips shifted from side to side as she moved her feet, sidestepping to and from each pan.

She could feel his gaze on her backside, something she wasn't too uncomfortable with, not yet anyways. He was a man after all and she was a decent looking woman. It came with the territory, most of the guys she knew had checked her out at least once, now that she wasn't soaking wet and covered in damp clothes, it was the perfect opportunity for Peter to study her.

Jamming the spatula under one of the pieces of bread in the frying pan, she picked it up and flipped it onto a plate residing on the counter beside the stove. Quickly, the other two pieces followed suit and she dunked three more pieces of bread into the French toast mixture, dropping them into the still heated pan.

The fork was abandoned on the counter now as she picked up the plate with her free hand and stepped across the kitchen before setting the plate in front of Peter, right on top of the newspaper. Throwing him a sly grin, he nodded his appreciation of her making him breakfast and took in the sight of the fluffy, scrumptious looking French toast.

"Thank you." He said, meeting her pride filled gaze.

"It's the least I can do, I mean for letting me stay here."

He nodded again at her, still studying her body as she turned around, stepping back to the stove to watch over the rest of the food still cooking in the pans.

His eyes never left her now, not even to pick at his breakfast. She seemed to have a new spring in her step. Last night she had been angry and desperate, now she wiggled her hips and was even humming a light little tune as she flipped bread in the frying pan and fried bacon in another. It was a pleasant sight, someone using his kitchen for more than just a place to read up on mythology, mostly of the werewolf variety. He couldn't help but wonder if she had been a very domestic person before arriving back in Beacon Hills, maybe with a roommate, or a boyfriend even.

At the thought of her having a boyfriend, he let a small growl slip out of his throat. What was he thinking? Jealous, no, there was nothing to be jealous of. Sydney was his nephew's best friend, who just so happened to be a gorgeous woman. When he brought himself back to reality, she was gazing back at him, a worried look etched on her face. She must have caught his growl.

"Do you not like it? I can make you something else if you want." The tone of her voice was desperate, obviously seeking approval from him, fearful that he might kick her out solely based on the taste of her French toast.

"No, it's fine, something in the paper caught my eye." He lied, so smoothly that he believed himself. His heart remained steady; as it would from the years of practice he had with lying.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure the world's going to hell." She joked, trying to lighten the mood, _his_ mood, so as not to bother him. She needed him to want her around, even if it was because she made a mean breakfast.

"It's what happens when good people go bad." Peter added, turning his attention back to the newspaper.

Sydney pressed her lips together and went back to cooking breakfast. She slipped her own French toast onto a plate and turned both burners off, collecting the bacon in the pan into a pile before adding it to the plate of cooked bacon on the counter. Grabbing both plates, making sure she had a fork on one, she made her way across the kitchen, a little hesitant to sit at the island beside him but there wasn't a table anywhere else. He lived alone, probably having no use for a table.

Planting her butt on the stool next to his, she flashed him a nervous smile as he looked at her. When the plate of bacon hit the top of the island, his hand moved right for it, throwing her a smirk right back.

Settling in next to him, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Her body relaxed, he didn't say anything to her, no scolding for invading his kitchen, no snide remarks about her wasting his food, not a single word. Maybe staying with Peter Hale wouldn't be so bad after all.

_**XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX**_

After making sure he wasn't going to go out and leave her without a key, Sydney had left the apartment, a fairly large list of groceries in her jacket pocket. If she was going to be staying with him, eating his food, using his space, she was going to make sure he didn't feel like she was taking advantage of it all. So, after finishing breakfast, doing the dishes and cleaning everything up, she sat down and made a list.

Arriving back at the apartment, juggling seven plastic bags full of groceries, Sydney struggled to wrap her fingers around the doorknob. She barely gripped it but twisted it enough that it disengaged and the door opened slightly. Using her foot, she gently forced her toe against the bottom of the door and walked into the apartment, catching Peter's curious look.

She let out a nervous chuckle and marched through the apartment into the kitchen, gingerly setting the bags of groceries on the top of the island. Before he could scold her for leaving her shoes on, she jogged back to the front door, made sure it was shut tight, locked it and quickly flipped her boots off, leaving her jacket on for the time being.

He shifted on the couch and stood up, following her into the kitchen as she pulled the fridge door open. Peter moved around the island, glancing into each and every bag, taking a mental inventory of what she had brought back to the apartment.

"I used most of the bread this morning." She admitted shyly. "So I went to buy you a replacement loaf."

"And what about the other six bags?" He teased her, implying the bread was in a bag of its own, even though, simply by the sight of the bags, he knew they were all as full as could be.

"Well, eggs and bacon took up another two bags right, and then when I was in the bathroom this morning I just kept thinking like 'man this guy is going to notice his toilet paper supply dwindling faster than normal' so that's another bag."

"That still leaves," he paused, mentally counting the amount of bags on the island, "three more."

"Well I'd like to make dinner for you, so ground beef in one, noodles in another and in the last one, tomato sauce." She smiled back at him, not expecting him to be so, well, normal. Derek had always told her that his uncle was pretty much a psychopath, but she was starting to doubt he was _that_ bad.

"If you're trying to earn your keep-"

"Just don't worry about a single meal while I'm here. I want to do it."

"That's not necessary Sydney."

"It's the least I can do."

"If you insist."

Sydney nodded her head yes. She wasn't going to back down, making him breakfast, and dinner, maybe even lunch depending on the day, was something she could do and she could do it well. She was a decent cook, thanks to years of living with her grandma, and it was almost exciting for her now being able to actually cook again, in a decent kitchen no less. For the longest time after she showed back up in Beacon Hills, there wasn't any place where she _could_ cook.

Derek's loft had a shitty kitchen, barely more than a fridge and even if she wanted to cook there, he'd tell her not to bother, that she'd probably just stink up the loft, or make every werewolf in the place hungry. He didn't want hungry werewolves, even if she would have subdued their hunger by cooking them food too. She knew he didn't want her to have any control of _his_ pack, and by not letting her cook, he could make sure that wouldn't happen.

"If there's anything else you want me to do, like maybe laundry or vacuuming or-"

"Sydney." He cut her off, his tone firm and commanding. "I can take care of myself."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't implying that you couldn't-"

"Stop." He cut her off again, a softness to his features that took her off guard.

"So just the food." She said, nodding her understanding.

"Just the food." He agreed.

A blanket of silence fell over them as he went through the bags of groceries, pulling out item after item, handing them to her. She took the items from his hands and put them in the fridge where she believed they should go. After ten minutes of emptying the groceries, Peter flopped down onto the stool and looked at her, wondering how her and Derek interacted.

He couldn't picture her grocery shopping for his young nephew, nor could he imagine her cooking for him, cleaning his loft like she offered to do with his apartment. Would she have taken on the job of doing Derek's laundry, if his nephew even did laundry? It seemed there were far too many pieces of his clothing that would be destroyed with rips, tears, even blood, maybe laundry at the loft was unnecessary.

He took in the sight of her in his kitchen once again. It wasn't something he was used to, having lived by himself since the fire, but the more he drank in the sight of Sydney waltzing around the kitchen, the more he found himself getting used to the thought of her staying with him.

Taking her in was starting to seem like a really good idea.

_**Review? Pretty please, with cherries on top? **_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note:**_

_**First of all, thank you to everyone who has looked at this story, favourited it or put it on alert, I appreciate it very, very much.**_

_**This chapter is probably one of my favourites, I hope you all enjoy it!**_

_**poorxbrokexcollegexkid: Thank you for your kind words, not to worry, you'll get to see quite a bit of Sydney's back story and her and I do hope you like where I take her. I'm also happy to hear that you think I nailed Peter's character on the head, he's hard to get right!**_

_**Guest: This story will definitely follow most of the events in season 3, obviously with a few changes here and there. Her and Derek will definitely interact with each other more and I'm excited for her part against the alphas, and the Darach. Hopefully all of your questions about why she left Peter will be answered soon!  
**_

_**Toshba234 & Alawishus: Thank you for your reviews! **_

_**The Last of Us**_

_Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.**

**Chapter 2:**

It was another quiet night in the apartment; she had made a nice lasagna dinner for the two of them and had finished with the dishes before disappearing into the bedroom, leaving him alone in the living room in front of the television. It wasn't that she expected things to be so easy between the two of them, but she had definitely expected more awkward moments than she had experienced already.

Derek had always made a point of warning her whenever Peter was going to be involved in anything and yes, she had witnessed a few exchanges between the two Hales and maybe found herself siding with Derek but now that she was without a pack and needed someone to rely on, he wasn't quite what she expected.

No, Peter was right there to back her up on her theories, the two of them often discussing what on earth the alpha pack would want in Beacon Hills. Surely Derek wasn't what caught their attention, even if that would be the most obvious answer; they both _knew_ there was something bigger going on.

She didn't bother shutting the door behind her as she peeled off her shirt after a day's worth of wear. She dug into her bag and pulled out an oversized, plain white t-shirt and tossed it on the end of his bed. Every night she wandered into his room to change, she'd eye up the bed as if it were a delicious steak. She knew she was lucky he took her in at all, but the couch was starting to become a pain in the butt. She found herself having to curl up to get comfy and when she finally woke up, her muscles would be tense and stiff from her unusual position.

The bed always enticed her. She often thought about maybe stealing it for a catnap in the middle of the day but always decide against it. If he were anything like her, he'd hate the idea of some stranger curled up in the sheets.

Sydney let out an envious sigh and reached around to the clasp of her bra, squeezing it with one hand, unhooking it on the first go. She let the garment fall away from her skin, pulling her arms out of the straps before taking it in her hand and tossing it onto the top of her bag, ready to wear again the next day. She pulled the t-shirt off the bed and over her head, shaking her arms so that it fell in a comfortable way. She grabbed the thighs of her jeans and tugged, slipping them off before lamely folding them, setting them on the floor beside her bag before grabbing hold of her skimpy short shorts and pulling them on, running her hands over her thighs for good measure.

When she pranced out of the bedroom, she laid her eyes on him sitting on the couch and moved to sit next to him, going against her better judgement and leaving no space between their bodies. Her knee brushed against his as she settled into the cushions, her eyes falling on the television screen.

"What're you watching?" She asked, the channels changing faster than she could say boo.

"Nothing, there's nothing on."

"Nothing at all?"

He remained silent, seemingly ignoring her question as he continued to change channels, looking for anything of interest. After a few more channels, he extended his hand to her, offering her the converter. Sydney flashed him a smile and took it excitedly, flipping through channels at her own pace now.

His head fell backwards and he let out a sigh. He could smell her clearly now that she was this close to him. The entire aroma in his apartment had changed the second she stepped inside. If not for her feminine scent, definitely from the superb meals she continued to cook for him. Now though, he found the smell of her somewhat intoxicating.

She was a beautiful girl, he wouldn't deny it and he found himself eyeing her up at any opportunity. She was easy on the eyes and Peter found himself getting along with her quite nicely. Living with her was almost effortless.

"Hey look!" She exclaimed, stopping on a cartoon. Her eyes widened at the sight and he found himself embarrassed at the fact that he knew exactly which cartoon it was.

"You like Batman?"

"Pfft no way, Batman sucks but The Joker, man, he is something else." She grinned, pointing at the screen as the animated man in question wandered to the center of the screen, teasing the man in black.

"The Joker?"

"For a cartoon he is pretty sexy, I mean come on, look at that jaw line." She let out a laugh but her eyes never left the crazy clown's face on the screen.

"How could you possibly find a cartoon sexy?"

"Okay, like I said, look at his jaw line, plus he has a decent personality."

"You can't be serious right now."

"Because you think it's impossible to think of a cartoon character as sexy? Get out of here. You know Jessica Rabbit right?" He nodded his head yes. "You're telling me that she wasn't the star of your teenage fantasies?"

"Alright, you've got me there."

"So sue me for having a crush on a cartoon character." She shot back, the mocking smile taunting him now.

"Just the one?"

"Nope and it's rarely the superhero." She countered, leaning against his side now.

His arm lifted and moved to rest on the back of the couch, instinctually making it more comfortable for the two of them as she curled up against him the slightest bit. Peter found himself enjoying her company more and more and with her pressed against his side, something clicked in his head. She fit: against him, in his apartment, as an ally. Sydney was more than just an Omega.

"You'd rather watch the villain?"

"Oh yeah, all my life I've had a thing for the bad guys. The Joker is my favourite, but we can't forget about Lex Luthor, Bane and Shredder, you know from the Ninja Turtles. Then there was Wile E. Coyote, I mean obviously I never found him sexy but I was always pulling for him to catch that damn roadrunner. I may have a soft spot for psychopaths. They just always seemed to have more fun."

"I can relate."

"Yeah, Derek told me all about the time you tried to kill, like, everyone."

"It wasn't everyone, just those responsible-"

"For the deaths of your family, I know. I'm not judging you. I get it."

He gazed down at her and found her looking right back up at him, a certain sadness in her eyes. How would she have reacted had she been there? Would she have been willing to help him or would she have tried to stop him? Her gaze broke away from him and she tucked her legs up under her bum, leaning against him further. His arm gently slipped around her shoulders and held her securely against him, enjoying the warmth radiating off her body.

"My family didn't deserve to die." He stated quietly.

"I know, it would've been nice to watch Kate die though."

"You knew her?"

"I met her a couple times when her and Derek…dated, is that the right word? They dated right? Whatever, she did not like me."

He let out an amused chuckle, picturing how the two women would act when faced with each other. Sydney wouldn't back down, not even from a hunter and from what he knew of Kate, she wouldn't walk away from a challenge either.

"Every villain is a hero in his own mind." Peter murmured and she let out a sad sigh.

"Well the good guys shouldn't always get the girl."

"Didn't The Joker get the girl?"

"Are you a closet Batman fan?"

"Sydney don't be ridiculous."

"Sorry." She muttered, dropping her head down to look at her knees, not wanting to offend him.

"I grew up on Batman."

"You did not!" She shot back at him, jerking her head back up to meet his amused expression. "But if you're talking about Harley Quinn, that was a pretty fucked up relationship."

"Still a relationship nonetheless."

"They _were_ pretty much perfect for each other." Sydney giggled.

He nodded his appreciation at her opinion of the psychotic villain couple. He couldn't have agreed any more with her. She relaxed against him and let out a contented sigh, turning her focus back to the cartoon still playing on the television. His hand drifted across her shoulders and moved to the back of her neck, his fingers gently tangling in her hair there. He was surprised at how comfortable with her he felt. She had barely been around him for more than a few days and already he couldn't help but enjoy her presence.

Her hand moved and came to rest against his hip, her fingers gently pressing against the material of his jeans. She shifted on the couch and seemed to make herself more comfortable against him, as if they were lifelong friends, maybe more.

"When I got older, I started watching shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Her voice broke into the silence and he couldn't help but give her his undivided attention, it didn't matter that they were talking about trivial things like cartoons or television shows. "I was always rooting for the vampires and demons you know, like they're clearly just misunderstood right? Then Supernatural came out and I remember they had this one episode where Sam and Dean are hunting down werewolves and I totally wanted the werewolves to rip them to pieces, except not entirely because well it's Sam and Dean and they are fine human beings."

"You're quite invested in this aren't you?"

"Maybe the bad guys aren't all that bad, maybe they just need someone who will love them for the psychopathic, homicidal people that they are."

"Maybe." He nodded and turned his attention to the cartoon, his fingers still moving through her hair.

She was definitely an odd woman, having such out of the ordinary opinion on things such as cartoon villains or the bad guys. If she felt that way about fictional characters, he started to wonder more about her realistically. Would she end up as the damsel in distress of her own story, being pulled out of danger by the good guy, or would she fall down the rabbit hole, the same rabbit hole he had once dived right into with reckless abandon? Would she maybe be her own hero or would she ultimately become a villain?

"You don't mind watching Batman with me?" She asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Oddly enough, not at all." He answered, not knowing if he was more concerned because he was being completely honest with her or because he felt as relaxed as he did next to her.

It wasn't too much longer, when he finally dared to glance down at her, that he found her eyes shut and her breathing even. Carefully untangling his fingers from her hair and pulling his arm away from her shoulders, he shifted on the couch and made himself more comfortable just in time for her sleeping form to collapse against him. Instead of getting up and going to bed though, he simply wrapped his arms around her and scooted both their bodies down on the couch.

As he lay underneath her sleeping form, he could no longer contain the smile threatening to make its place on his lips. If he was a villain in his own rights, she would most definitely make for an interesting accomplice. All he had to do now was convince her to play the role of Harley Quinn to his Joker.

_**XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX**_

Sydney fought back a groan as she twisted her upper body, finding much resistance in the form of a pair of arms wrapped around her. She tilted her head back and took in the sight before her, a peaceful looking Peter Hale asleep on the couch underneath her. A smile broke out on her face as she took in his lazy expression, something not a lot of people would ever get to see.

She turned her head and her eyes landed on the clock hanging on the wall behind the television. She had to squint her eyes to make sure she was reading the hands right. According to the timepiece on the wall, it was only around three in the morning, a time Sydney would have preferred to have slept right through.

A small groan escaped her throat and she dropped her head back down, her forehead connecting harder than she had expected with Peter's chest. He let out a huff of his own as he jerked awake, his arms moving away from her immediately. When she met his tired gaze, he let out a yawn, stretching his arms into the arm. She cuddled against him, basking in the body heat he was providing her with.

"You fell asleep." He remarked, his palms gently dropping onto her shoulder blades.

"So did you." She murmured right back, her fingers splayed out across his chest.

"You missed the rest of your Batman."

"Shush, quiet time." She continued to murmur, wanting nothing more than to shut her eyes and let sleep take over her once again, not even minding the male body beneath hers.

His hands slowly moved up and down her back, her breathing slowing down as she cuddled against him. Sydney couldn't help but feel calm and relaxed in her current position. She lifted her head up and glanced around the room once more, her eyes landing on the open bedroom door. She furrowed her brows together and felt Peter's hold on her tighten.

"What?" He pondered, catching her curious look.

"Your bed." She let out a big yawn.

"What about it?"

"It's empty." She retorted with a tone that suggested he was completely blind.

"Shouldn't it be?"

She dropped her forehead against his chest again and let out an annoyed sigh. If his bed was empty and he was sleeping on the couch, a perfectly good place to sleep was vacant. He tangled his fingers in her hair and tugged, causing her head to tilt backwards, her eyes meeting his.

"You've left a completely wonderful bed empty to sleep on a couch. I mean if you didn't want to stay in your room, you could have told me, I would've gladly slept in there."

"Well I wasn't aware there was anything stopping you." He countered and she subdued a growl forming in her throat. "If you're really upset over the fact that my bed is unoccupied, perhaps I'll go and occupy it."

Sydney pushed herself away from him and dropped her feet to the floor, moving her body to stand up. She looked down at him for a few seconds. He hesitated and followed her lead, moving to stand in front of her. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at the floor.

Cautiously Peter reached out and cupped her face, lifting her head upwards so that her gaze met his. She let out another yawn but stepped towards him, resting her exhausted body against his.

"I should go to sleep." She whispered, her body shivering slightly at the cold from lack of his arms wrapped around her.

"Good night then." He nodded and hesitated before pulling away.

Sydney remained standing in the middle of the living room, watching as he backed away from her before ultimately turning around. Her eyes never left his back as he disappeared into his room, the door remaining open. Letting out a sigh, Sydney dropped down onto the couch and lay on her side, burying her face in her hands.

Peter sat on the edge of his bed, his head turned so that he was looking out into the rest of the apartment. He picked up the beating of her heart, hearing it level out to a steady rhythm before letting out a low, frustrated growl.

She was asleep once again, except this time Peter wasn't next to her. It shouldn't have bothered him as much as it did yet he sat on the edge of his bed, finding that he missed the contact of her body against his. Maybe he should have made his offer blatantly clear, maybe he should have outright asked her to join him between the sheets. It didn't matter now though because nothing was going to change the fact that she was out there and he was alone, once again, in his bedroom.

**_What did you guys think?_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note:**_

_**First of all, thank you to those who even looked at this story, as well as those of you who favourited it or put it on alert, I appreciate it very, very much! It's time to get down to business!  
**_

_**poorxbrokexcollegexkid: Prince Charming is overrated, especially when there's Peter Hale around haha. Aw don't hate me but I'm glad you're enjoying this story. Not to worry, you'll get to see her interact with the rest of the Teen Wolf crew soon enough. I hope you enjoy this new installment!  
**_

_**Guest: Villains deserve love too and thank you so much for the review!  
**_

_**Alawishus: I'm so glad you're liking it so far and a very big thank you for your review! **_

_**The Last of Us**_

_Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.**

**Chapter 3:**

She had fallen into a pattern with Peter while in his apartment. He'd wake up at the crack of dawn, put on a pot of coffee, hit the shower, get dressed and by the time he wandered back into the kitchen, she'd be working in front of the stove in her pajamas, making breakfast for the two of them. Sydney continued to tell him it was the least she could do, he was turning out to be quite enjoyable to be around, agreeing with her views on Derek and the pack she was once a part of.

He was also filling her head with ideas, whether she wanted to stick to being an omega, maybe find a new pack, she wasn't sure. What she knew though was that Peter was dropping hint after hint of him becoming her alpha and what surprised her was that the longer she spent in his apartment, in his presence, the more she was coming to like the idea of her being his beta.

There hadn't been any more mentions of her potential alpha status since the first night she stayed there, not a word. She'd kept her ears open at all hours of the day, searching for hints of him plotting against her. Derek had always informed her that he didn't trust his own uncle and after the whole using Lydia to bring himself back to life incident, she hadn't exactly blamed Derek for his lack of trust, it was just a shame that his lack of trust branched out at her too.

She had never done anything to Derek, the pack or any other Hales that would suggest she wasn't a trustworthy person, yet she found herself in Peter's apartment, the two of them working around each other in sync, almost as if they had lived together for years.

It was weirdly comfortable. She'd sleep on the couch, he'd retire to his room at approximately eleven every night, leaving her in the moonlit living room alone with her thoughts. She'd try every night to tune into his heartbeat, searching for any sign of him turning on her, or getting angry at the idea of her being in his home, either she couldn't tune into it or he was always calm when he went to bed.

She often found herself in her pajamas early in the evening. He'd eye her up and down when she pranced out of his bedroom in nothing more than the tiniest shorts he'd ever seen and a simple t-shirt. Of course it wasn't necessarily for his eyes, they were just her pajamas, but more and more he found himself watching her: the movement in her muscles as she walked through the apartment, the rippling in her shoulders when she extended her arms over her head, the taut skin of her abdomen shifting as she did so. He was drawn to her, physically, he figured any sane man would be. Her body was absolute perfection.

She'd caught him gawking more than once but still entered the living room in her skimpy little pajamas nonetheless, almost as if she were _trying_ to entice him.

A little more than a week after she first knocked on his door, asking for a place to stay, he found himself perched on a stool at the kitchen island, an old mythology book open in front of him as she pranced around the kitchen in her 'pajamas', making dinner for the two of them.

The shorts hugged every inch of her that they touched, leaving little to the imagination. Peter couldn't help but stare. She was flawless and he could respect a woman like Sydney.

"You know, you stare at my ass an awful lot." She stated, breaking the silence in the kitchen. She relaxed her hip against the kitchen counter and looked at him, a tiny hint of a smirk playing on her lips.

"I'm merely admiring-"

"You're a perv." She cut him off, a look of amusement on her face. She could play his games too. She had years of practice being a conniving jerk, it was about time she put it to good use.

"I'm appalled that you would think that."

"Well the last time someone looked at my ass like that, I got laid." She stated matter-of-factly, her amused look still very present on her face.

"You shouldn't say things like that."

"Why? It's true. I've been here for like a week, don't think that you checking out my ass has gone unnoticed."

"What-"

"Peter, I get it. You're a lonely wolf and, not to sound too narcissistic but, I'm pretty damn gorgeous. I'd look too if I were you."

He remained silent, sending a glare her way. She shrugged her shoulders at him and turned away from his lingering gaze, giving her butt a little wiggle at him as she did so. The growl emanating from his throat caused her to let out a laugh of excitement. She knew it would get to him, now she was just egging him on. There wasn't an outcome of the situation that she wasn't a little excited for. At the very least, she'd get under his skin.

She glanced behind her and frowned, finding his gaze firmly planted back in the book on the island countertop. He wasn't going to get away with staring at her that easily. Not in the slightest. A plan quickly formed in her mind and she set to work on it.

Minutes later she had a pot on the stove, a bottle of red wine opened on the counter next to it, with full intentions of using it for the chicken sauce. She chanced another glance at him, his eyes still solely focused in the book. Fighting back a growl at his lack of attention, Sydney grabbed hold of the red wine and aimlessly started pouring it in the pot. She watched as it splashed up, splatting all over her shirt before letting out a small shriek.

His hear darted upright and he looked at her, wondering what on earth could have caused her panicked scream. She stepped away from the stove and growled, carelessly placing the wine on the counter, hearing the bottle scrape against the tile countertop. She let out a few curse words and turned to face him, his eyes landing on the giant splotch of red wine seeping into her previously clean, light blue t-shirt.

"This was my favourite shirt!" She growled again, grabbing the bottom hem of it and pulling it away from her body.

"Go change it, quick before it sets."

Narrowing her eyes on him, she ignored his suggestion and instead pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it into the sink immediately, running the water over it before grabbing a scrub brush from the edge of the basin.

Peter's eyes widened at the sight of her now standing in his kitchen in nothing but a lacy black bra and her skimpy shorts. What exactly was she thinking, just ripping her shirt over her head with a man in the kitchen able to just watch her? His eyes were drawn to her bare back, her shoulders moving as she scrubbed, not wanting the wine to stain her shirt, although if she were completely honest, she didn't really care much about her shirt at all.

She tensed as his arms reached out around her, his hands resting on hers as he gingerly pushed them against the sink, getting her to stop her movements. Sydney relaxed against him, letting out a contented sigh as the material of his t-shirt brushed against her bare skin.

"Sydney…" His voice was barely louder than a whisper, a growl rumbling in his chest too.

"Yeah?" She breathed out, fighting every fibre of her being not to grind against him.

He didn't say a word, but she knew that his mind was reeling. He was trying to figure out what she was doing, wanting his next move to be completely and utterly planned. Peter Hale never did anything without meticulously calculating it. She took the opportunity and turned around, his arms still on either side of her, but now she was facing him as he leaned down the slightest little bit, his face mere inches from hers.

She pushed her shoulders back, her chest puffing up at the action. His eyes fell from her face down to her breasts, peaking out from her daringly sexy black bra. He watched her chest rise and fall with each breath, listened to her heart rate pick up, smelled the arousal radiating off her.

"I don't care about the shirt Peter."

"Of course not."

"But I know damn well I'm not spending tonight on that god awful couch again." She smirked, her palms running up his chest, onto his shoulders before connecting at the base of his neck, her fingers playing with the hair there.

"Where do you suggest I put you?"

"I think the question you should be asking is where I should put you." Her eyes widened as she finally caught his gaze, a mix of hunger and confusion swirling in his irises.

"Alright and where is it that you should put me?"

"Right between my legs." She purred, batting her eyelashes at him.

It didn't matter if she was a good ten years younger than him and closer in age to his nephew because at that moment, there was no more control. She had known exactly what she was doing and he couldn't stop himself now even if he wanted to.

"You mean something like this?"

Before she could make another noise, his thigh was pressing between hers, trying to force it's way between her legs. She relaxed against him, her chest flat against his now, her forehead resting against the side of his face.

He felt her soft lips on the side of his neck and any ounce of control he had left had disappeared. She let his thigh in between hers before using her powerful arms to pull herself upwards, wrapping her lithe little legs around him and squeezing. A feral growl escaped his throat and she had to fight off the desire to squeal in delight. This was strictly business; there was no way she would let him think otherwise.

**_XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX_**

She could feel the familiar pressure of someone lying directly behind her, fingertips pressed into the skin just under her breasts, yet somehow it felt slightly different. There was no desperation flooding her veins, her body wasn't tense with the urge to get up and leave before her bed buddy awoke and realized that she had stayed the night, no, somehow, this time wasn't similar to the rest, this time she felt almost comfortable.

Her arms shifted slightly, hugging the pillow harder against her naked front. She didn't want to disturb the body behind her, his face nuzzled into the crook of her neck, breathing even. If it weren't for the sudden cramping in her right calf, she might have gotten away with her tiny movements but the pain, the tensing of her leg muscle was too much and she jerked her entire limb upwards.

Her arm moved away from the pillow as she dug her fingertips into the hardened muscle, the pillow falling away from her body but the skin on skin contact at her back intensified as he leaned into her, grabbing the covers in front of her and pulling them upwards, making sure her bare body was covered from the armpits down.

"Sorry." She whispered the apology, her hands still furiously working at the cramped calf.

"For what exactly?"

"Waking you up." She answered, her tone suggestion he was incredibly dense for asking, her fingers ceased their motions in the now loosening muscle, her hands shifting back upwards to grasp the top of the blanket firmly against her chest..

"After last night, there's no need to apologize, for anything." He murmured cheekily and Sydney couldn't help but chuckle.

"Is that a compliment? Are you complimenting me on my sexual skills?"

There was definitely a certain level of contentment between the two of them now. Maybe it had something to do with the vulnerability of the situation. There wasn't much between them if one of them decided the other needed to be taken out, yet Sydney's thoughts were the farthest away from harming him and Peter would never admit it out loud but there was no way he could hurt a single hair on her head.

"Sydney," He paused and she found herself liking the way her name sounded on his lips, "You should really learn not to push boundaries and accept compliments with a simple thank you."

"Yeah, you're right but I like pushing boundaries." She grinned and tilted her head back to meet his gaze.

He smirked at her and slipped an arm around her waist, tugging her against him. She relaxed in his hold and shut her eyes, letting out a peaceful sigh. He nuzzled his nose into the back of her neck, nipping at her skin. Sydney couldn't help but laugh at his actions, fully preparing herself for repeat of the night before, that was until the blaring sound of his cell phone ringing on the nightstand broke into the atmosphere.

His frustrated growl didn't go unnoticed by her, but she remained silent nonetheless, listening as he picked up the phone and placed it against his ear. She felt lonelier without his arms around her, after just one night in bed with him, she felt alone without his contact. Sydney shook her head, trying to regain her confident composure before slipping out of the covers, her back to him as he conversed with his nephew on the other end of the call.

Reaching down, Sydney grabbed hold of her discarded t-shirt, the one very evidently stained with wine. She pulled the shirt over her head and turned around, catching Peter's curious gaze on her. Seconds later, he hung up the phone and set it back on the nightstand, staring at her.

"Derek needs your help, funny how that works isn't it?" She questioned, wondering if Derek would call him for anything other than something he needed.

"He's still family." Peter pointed out.

"You want me to go with you?"

"I'll leave that up to you." He smirked.

"Do you have time for a shower first?" Sydney asked right back, matching his smirk with one of her own.

She stepped towards the bedroom door, her arms crossed over her chest. She paused in the doorway and looked back at him, a mischievous grin playing on her lips.

Not even bothering to wait for his response, she took off for the bathroom, peeling her t-shirt off in the process. It landed in a pile just inside the bathroom door, forgotten for the time being as she climbed into the shower, turning the handle to get the water flowing. She twisted her body around as the water cascaded down against her back from the showerhead, letting a gasp escape her throat at the presence of him in the bathroom.

Stepping back under the water further, he climbed over the edge of the tub and joined her, making sure the shower curtain was securely across, keeping the water inside the tub and not on the floor. Her grin grew wider as he closed the distance between their naked bodies, her arms wrapping around his neck as he lifted her off her feet, pressing her back against the shower wall.

"Just so you know, I'm not going back to that couch tonight." She purred.

"I wouldn't expect you to." He murmured back, placing his lips on her collarbone.

She let out a moan as his teeth grazed her skin. Her legs wrapped around his torso as he shallowly sunk his teeth into her skin. Her own hands gripped his shoulders hard as he squished her between the wall and his body.

"Please tell me I never have to shower alone from now on either." She giggled.

His only response was a low, territorial growl as he continued to bite at her skin. Sydney couldn't help but wonder how far she could get in life with Peter Hale around.

_**XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX**_

If it weren't for Derek's phone call, requesting the assistance of his 'psychotic' uncle, Sydney would have been perfectly content rolling around in the sheets with her new bed buddy. She figured Peter wouldn't have been opposed to the idea either but he was certainly more willing to help his nephew than Sydney figured he would have been. Maybe blood relatives were more important to him that he let on.

It didn't matter to her; she'd follow him anywhere he went as long as he let her. She was a perfectly capable werewolf with no one to answer to directly. But Derek had asked him to help get Isaac's memories back.

The young beta had gone hunting for the all too powerful alpha pack by himself, had gotten found out and had barely managed to escape with his life. It was times like those, when she had found out another of Derek's pack had been in severe danger, which she was glad to be away from the incompetent alpha that was Derek Hale.

So instead, Sydney found herself tagging along behind Peter as he mounted the stairs to the loft. She had her head hung low, watching her feet with each and every step as she focused on the voices carrying from Derek's place. She could hear every word the two male werewolves were exchanging inside the loft. Apparently Isaac had been fed the same information about Peter as Sydney had in the past. For a long time she would have agreed with him and his firm dislike of the older werewolf but after spending a few weeks living in close quarters with him, her view on Peter Hale had changed drastically.

Now she walked with him, playing for his team so to speak. There was something about the way he carried himself, a certain air of confidence that no one could deny. The man had a plan and there was no doubt in her mind that he would likely succeed at it. As opposed to her former alpha's way of thinking, Peter meticulously calculated each and every move, the only move unaccounted for so far in his plan was Sydney showing up at his apartment. Nonetheless he had let her stay, easily working her into his plan.

Her feet hit the floor that Derek's loft was on and she quickly moved to walk beside Peter now instead of slightly behind. She didn't exactly know how Derek would react to her showing up at his loft, especially with Peter, but he had to have known where she was staying. His uncle certainly wouldn't have kept that information a secret, and it wasn't like she had anywhere else to go.

The two of them closed in on the giant door to the loft, Sydney grabbing the handle and shoving it open, catching the last few words of the conversation. Apparently, according to Derek, 'nobody liked Peter'.

"Well that's not nice." Sydney stated, watching as Peter gracefully stepped through the door, waltzing across the room towards the remaining members of the Hale pack.

"Boys, FYI, yes, coming back from the dead has left my abilities somewhat impaired, but the hearing still works so I hope you're comfortable saying whatever it is that you're feeling straight to my face."

Sydney smirked at his tenacity, hoping Derek would maybe take his words to heart and potentially be a little nicer to his uncle. When she caught the glare on his face now directed at her, she knew she was mistaken.

"We don't like you. Now shut up and help us." Derek deadpanned.

"Fair enough."

"Derek play nice." She chided, taking her place next to Peter's side. Now Isaac glared at her too.

"We're not too fond of you either." He muttered, dropping his head and looking at the floor between his feet.

She raised an eyebrow at his words but said nothing. Peter glanced her way and tossed her a small smirk, turning to face where Isaac sat. Sydney crossed her arms over her chest and continued to stare at Derek's head, his eyes still glued to the floor as Peter began making himself at home in the loft.

He had peeled off his jacket, folded it over the arm of the couch, before sauntering back towards Isaac, who was sitting on a lame metal chair in front of the big, sturdy table that Derek used to lay out plans. She could recall numerous times when he had maps and papers laid out on the surface, hoping to form a plan of some sort. She closed the distance between her and the table before turning her back to it, pressing her lower back against it and hoisting herself onto the tabletop.

Peter, Derek and Isaac glanced at her as she shifted on the table, crossing her legs and making herself right at home, remaining ever so close to Peter. She didn't want to stray too far from him. He was her protection, her support system. He was all she had left and she would stand behind him, literally and figuratively, until he gave up on her.

Now Peter began closing the distance between himself and the youngest werewolf in the room, his words commanding and confident.

"Relax, I'll get more out of you if you're calm."

Isaac seemed restless on the chair now, his body twisting to the left as he looked at Peter but never actually made eye contact. "How do you know how to do this again?"

"It's an ancient ritual used mostly by alphas, since it's a skill that requires quite a bit of practice, one slip, and you could paralyze someone, or kill them."

She watched intently as Peter studied the back of Isaac's neck, his claws drawn and ready to be sunken into his flesh.

"You-you've had a lot of practice, though, right?"

"Well, I've never paralyzed anyone."

"That we know of." Sydney muttered, an amused look on her face. She had no doubt he'd lie about killing someone if he had to.

"Wait, does that mean that you-"

Before Isaac could get his sentence out, he was stopped. Sydney let out a yelp as Peter sunk his claws into the back of Isaac's neck, the young beta letting out a gasp of shock and pain.

She relaxed a little bit, watching Isaac struggle in Peter's hold. She wasn't entirely sure if he was trying to get away or not, seeing as this whole situation came about because Derek's beta had potentially found the others, it would be silly for Isaac to not want to find them.

Sydney found herself missing the two teens, Erica and Boyd, more than she had anticipated. Sure she had returned to Beacon Hills shortly before the two of them had abandoned their alpha but in the few days she spent with the blonde, she found herself thinking she'd make a decent friend. Their personalities were similar, she watched Erica fire retorts back at Derek more than once and he took them without so much as a growl.

If she hadn't gone missing, Sydney would have adopted her as a sort of surrogate sister. Friends were few and far between for Sydney and finding someone so tenacious, so fierce, like Erica, was practically a godsend.

Derek stared at Sydney, sitting almost comfortably behind his uncle before tensing his muscles, fighting back the urge to free Isaac from Peter's hold. The two of them struggled against each other, Isaac's body thrashing every which way and Peter's simply trying to hang on, to see everything he could before it all stopped.

Practically leaping to his feet, Derek closed in on his uncle and beta, Sydney watched him with a curious look, hoping he'd just let Peter do what they came here to do. He clearly didn't like watching Isaac writhing around in the chair, but then again neither did Sydney.

Before he could move too far from his place, Peter's voice cut him off. She shifted her attention back to Peter.

"Wait, I see them."

Sydney barely had time to brace herself as Isaac broke away from Peter, the force of Isaac moving forward projected the older Hale in her direction. He turned around quickly, his hands falling against the table on either side of her thighs. She shifted her arms away from the table and grabbed hold of his shoulders, helping to steady him as he regained his footing. Her eyes met his and she swore he let out the quietest growl.

"I could probably have done that." She whispered, a hint of teasing to her voice.

"Sydney." He groaned.

"My mom showed me how once." She nodded firmly. "I was maybe nine but she showed me."

With a roll of his eyes, he gathered his bearings. Peter held his arms close to his chest and pulled out of Sydney's grasp. He stumbled towards the broken brick wall, curling and uncurling his fingers as he did so. Derek stood at attention now and Sydney couldn't help but wonder if he would have reacted the same way if it were her in Isaac's place.

"What'd you see?"

"It was confusing, um, im-images, vague shapes."

"But you saw something?" Derek kept pressing, not wanting to give up the possibility that his missing teenage betas were alive and well. Even though she didn't see Isaac's memories herself, she knew they wouldn't have yielded anything promising.

"Isaac found them." Peter nodded. Sydney perked up at his words and uncrossed her legs, letting them fall over the side of the table.

"Erica and Boyd?"

She slipped off the table and looked between the two Hales, wondering now whose side she was really on. No doubt Derek would want to try to find them like Isaac once had, and he'd probably do everything in his power to get them back but yet she walked away from his pack, making herself an omega. Peter didn't have any connection to the missing teenagers, he wouldn't help Derek hunt them down, not unless he was gaining something in the process and she knew there wasn't anything in it for him.

"I barely saw them. I mean, glimpses."

"But you did see them?"

"Worse."

"Deucalion."

"He was talking to them, something about time running out."

"What does it mean?" Isaac's voice finally presented itself again, although rather hoarse and frightened. Sydney moved closer to him, resting her hand on the back of his shoulders in a gesture of comfort.

"He's going to kill them." Derek had been trying to remain strong and hopeful but Sydney knew there was no decent outcome for the missing betas. They had been missing months already and the odds of them being alive dwindled with each passing day.

"No, no, no, no, no, he didn't say that. He did make them a promise that by the full moon that they'd both be dead." Peter explained further.

She wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, giving his nephew some sort of false hope. Isaac turned his body, moving his shoulder out of her reach. When his eyes met hers, she knew he would fight just as hard as Derek to get Erica and Boyd back. The thought of Isaac throwing everything he had into a battle they had little to no chance of winning broke her heart. He deserved better than to have to fight for his friends, for his pack mates.

"The next full moon?"

"Tomorrow night."

"Well that leaves enough time for you to throw together a plan and figure out where you're going." Sydney muttered, knowing how incompetent Derek was on a good day, with ample time to figure things out. Add in an enormous lack of time, things were not looking too good.

"Are you in or not?" Derek shot back at her, his arms crossed over his chest.

"You're going to need my help-"

"Then we'll be in touch." Derek cut her off, waving a hand in her direction to silence her.

Letting out a low growl, Sydney stepped away from the table, strutting across the room wordlessly to grab Peter's coat off the arm of the couch. She picked it up, her eyes never leaving Derek's as she glared at him the entire way.

When she fell in step next to Peter, he gently took his coat from her grasp and slipped his arms into the holes. She linked her arm through his as the two of them walked out of Derek's loft.

When she finally stepped out into the cool afternoon air, she let out a growl she had been holding in since she last looked at Derek. Peter stopped walking, Sydney following suit.

"You're aware you don't actually have to help him, right?" Peter questioned, slipping his arm out of hers and turning to face her.

"_If_ I help, it's because of Erica and Boyd, not because of him."

"You don't owe him anything."

"Well that's debatable." She sighed, making a move to walk away from him.

His hand shot out, his fingers wrapped around her bicep, holding her in her place. She turned her head and met his gaze, watching as he narrowed his eyes on her.

"Did your mother really show you how to do that?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any idea where she would have learned a skill like that?"

Sydney scoffed at his question. He had said it was an ancient ritual used _mostly _by alphas. Her mother certainly wasn't an alpha. She had followed Talia Hale back in the day, Peter surely must have known that, or else he wouldn't have been so sceptical.

"My mom told me the reason she knew how to do that _thing_ was because when she was in college, she dated this guy who was apparently an alpha."

"An alpha in college."

"So she said." Sydney shrugged, ripping her arm free.

"And she showed you how?"

"Yes." She smiled at him now, clearly hiding something amusing.

"Sydney." Peter growled at her, knowing she had _something_ more to say.

"I tried it once." She beamed now, planting her hands on her hips firmly, the familiar mischievous look in her eye.

"You tried it?" He asked slowly, trying to figure out exactly how it was possible.

Sydney nodded her head yes and took a step towards him. She tensed, not expecting him to slide his hand across her shoulders and hold her against him. Seconds later, she relaxed in his hold, resting her head against his shoulder.

"So I had this friend in fourth grade who wouldn't tell me who she kissed under the slide at recess. I convinced her to stay over one night at my house and when she finally fell asleep, I may or may not have tried it out."

He let out a slight snort of amusement, mentally picturing Sydney as a child holding down another little girl as she slept, shoving her fingers into the back of the unsuspecting child's neck. It was a rather comical picture.

"Did it work?"

"Kind of, she started screaming and my mom came and pulled me off of her before I could really see anything. Needless to say, that was the last time she ever talked to me."

"You have a knack for getting into trouble, don't you?"

"Probably has something to do with my willingness to do _anything_."

She let out a laugh and moved away from him, prancing off the sidewalk and towards her car. Peter hesitated, watching as she continued to laugh at her childhood memories before she disappeared into the car. He stepped off the sidewalk too and made his way into the vehicle, vaguely curious as to what else Sydney knew how to do.

**_What do you guys think? _**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Thank you to those of you who added this story to their alerts and those of you who favourited it! You guys are the best!  
**_

_**poorxbrokexcollegexkid: I love your reviews, honestly, they make me so happy! I'm so glad you like it! Sydney cares about people, especially those that haven't hurt her (yet anyways). I hope you enjoy this new chapter and you'll have answers soon enough mwahaha.  
**_

_**Alawishus: I'm so glad you loved the last chapter! I can totally see Erica liking Peter, he's got that wicked charm about him. Thank you so much for taking the time to review!**_

_**The Last of Us**_

_Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.**

**Chapter 4:**

It somehow felt a little weird as Sydney made her way to the basement of the apartment building. The laundry basket full of her dirty clothes rested against her hip, her hand holding the opposite side. Her free hand was running through her hair, pausing as she got to the ends and admiring the amount of split hairs she hadn't exactly noticed before.

The fact that she was waiting for any form of contact from Derek weighed on her mind. She knew she should've been working out a plan in her head, or at the very least trying to figure out what the hell was going on, but instead she had found her head filled with the idea of doing laundry.

Clean clothes seemed important enough and if she didn't do her laundry soon, she'd be left with nothing clean to wear. Going to Derek's loft naked didn't seem like a good idea, however wandering around Peter's apartment without any clothes didn't seem like a terribly bad idea at all.

She knew she couldn't not wash her clothes though, which was why she found herself marching down the stairs until she located the dimly lit hallway leading to the washers and dryers.

The door to the laundry room was open and she wasn't entirely surprised to find another occupant doing the same thing she was about to do. The older lady, maybe closer to Peter's age, met her eyes and flashed Sydney a smile as she entered. Sydney tossed the woman a wave before pushing forward and heading for one of the free washers, setting her laundry basket on top of it.

She bent over and pulled the front load door open and straightened back up, tossing in her clothes one piece at a time, taking note that not _all_ articles actually belonged to her. She let out a chuckle not intending for the other woman to hear it but the curious humming coming from behind her signified that she had, in fact, heard her amusement.

"You're new around here, aren't you?" The woman asked and Sydney tossed the last piece of clothing, one of her t-shirts, into the washer before standing up and turning towards the woman.

"New to this building, yes." Sydney nodded, hoping that the woman wouldn't get too nosy.

"So you're from Beacon Hills?"

"I lived here when I was a kid, so I'm definitely not a stranger." Sydney forced a smile, knowing that maybe having an ally in the building would be a decent thing.

"Oh how lovely." The woman nodded, a smile of her own gracing her lips.

Sydney patted her hand against her hip, brushing off the palm before extending her hand towards the woman. She mentally chanted to 'fit in' and maybe she could even help keep her cover solid. All she had to do was convince the woman she was normal.

"My name's Sydney." Sydney announced and the woman took a firm hold of her hand, shaking it lightly.

"Debbie." The woman nodded.

"Have you lived in this building for very long?"

The woman pulled her hand away from Sydney but rested it against her hip. She cocked her head to the side, almost as if she were calculating in her head the number of years she had been in the building.

"Seven years but I haven't seen you around here for very long."

"No, probably not, I'm actually staying with," she paused, not really knowing what to call Peter, "someone."

"Ah yes, that lovely gentleman from 3-C." The woman nodded.

Sydney scrunched her eyebrows together and looked at Debbie cautiously. What kind of person was that observant? She had barely been with Peter at all, yet this woman knew that he was the person with whom she was staying.

"I'd hardly call him lovely." Sydney teased back, trying to mask her confusion at _how_ Debbie knew that and instead played it off as simply not knowing exactly _who_ she was referring to.

"Is he family?"

Sydney leaned back against the washing machine and looked into the woman's eyes, trying to gauge her threat level. Maybe she was just a curious lady, maybe she had a thing for 'lovely gentleman', or maybe she was looking out for herself, trying to gauge Sydney's threat level on her own.

"Not really." Sydney shook her head and twisted her body around, grabbing the bottle of Tide from the bottom of her laundry basket. She twisted the cap off and dumped a little bit into the loading spot before making sure the washer door was shut tight.

The woman wandered closer to Sydney and leaned against the machine now too, watching with curiosity as Sydney turned the dials to set it and then pushed the start button. When Sydney met her gaze once again, the woman threw a cheery smile on her face.

"Boyfriend?" Debbie pressed, a knowing glint in her eye and a hint of smugness at her accusation.

"Um, no." Sydney quickly shook her head, wondering what this lady's angle was.

"So he's single?"

And just like that, Sydney felt her entire body relax at the question. This lady wasn't out to get her, she wasn't trying to figure out what Sydney was, or how big of a threat she was to her, at least not on a physical level, not, this woman was clearly interested in Peter, romantically. Fighting back the urge to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, Sydney crossed her arms over her chest and fixed the woman with a stare.

"He's fair game Debbie." Sydney giggled.

"My friends and I have been keeping an eye on him for ages now trying to figure out what his deal was. Until you, we had never seen a woman enter, or leave, his apartment."

"Yeah, well he's definitely single." Sydney added, hoping the woman would keep talking, there was no way she wasn't completely enjoying every word out of her mouth.

"But is he straight?"

Letting out an amused scoff, Sydney narrowed her eyes on the woman, "What do you think?"

"Well I was hoping, but like I said, no girls, ever. There've been a couple of guys before."

"Tall, dark hair, leather?"

"How'd you know?"

"That's his nephew." Sydney smirked, her mind drifting to Derek and his never changing style.

"And the blonde man?" Debbie asked and Sydney knew she was referring to Isaac.

"Well now, that's a little more complicated and hard to explain but I can assure you, Peter's definitely not gay."

"Oh that's his name, Peter."

Sydney nodded and Debbie's gaze moved upwards, almost as if she were daydreaming now that she had a name to put with the face. Uncrossing her arms, Sydney took the opportunity to check the woman out, glancing up and down her body. She was definitely attractive, for an older woman, and if she weren't shacking up with Peter Hale herself, Sydney would not have passed up the opportunity to set them up.

"I can mention your name to him, if you want, maybe see if he's noticed you before?" Sydney suggested and bit back the urge to cackle maniacally. Oh Peter would never approve of what she was doing at that moment, but she didn't care. It was too fun to stop.

"Oh heavens, I doubt he even knows I exist."

"Oh Debbie, don't sell yourself short, you see like a nice woman."

Sydney nodded at the woman, picturing her next to Peter. They'd definitely be somewhat adorable together, closer in age than her and him, and probably sharing more interests. This woman definitely didn't seem like the type of person to watch cartoons, that much seemed obvious.

She was more mature than Sydney, probably wouldn't provoke Peter, or instigate at all. Maybe, if he wasn't a werewolf, she could have been his happily ever after. Sydney pushed her body off the washer and looked at the woman.

"Let me see what I can do." Sydney grinned, and she knew the woman took it as an excited grin. Sydney _was_ really excited to tell Peter about the woman, but not because she wanted to set them up, no, she was excited because there was going to be teasing to no end.

Peter Hale was in for it now.

_**XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX**_

Just over an hour later, her clothes all washed and dried, a lovely conversation shared with Debbie, and Sydney was back at the apartment, opening the front door and waltzing in, a cheerful smile gracing her features.

She wandered into the kitchen to find the man she was hoping to find, as per the usual he was perched at the island, this time though he had a laptop open in front of him, pictures of mythical creatures taking over the screen. She set the basket next to the laptop and dropped onto the empty stool, staring at the side of his face, waiting for him to glance in her direction.

"You're staring is rather rude." He remarked. "I'd ask if your mother ever taught you manners but I'm aware that you didn't actually grow up with her influence."

"Hey that's not nice." Sydney shot back but couldn't help but keep the smile present on her face.

"It's true."

She reached a hand out and punched him, rather roughly, on the shoulder. He slowly turned his head to face her and when his eyes caught sight of her devilish smile, he winced slightly.

"So I met your neighbour." She remarked casually, baiting him now.

"Which one?"

"Debbie, she lives below you actually."

"Right, is this going somewhere important?"

Sydney let out a dreamy sigh and leaned towards him, resting her palms on his thighs. He moved towards her too, pressing his forehead against hers, waiting for her to speak.

"She's got a little crush on you." Sydney sang and broke out into a fit of laughter.

"What are you boasting about?"

"Oh my god, it's so cute, she's like in love with you. Come on, that's adorable." Sydney teased.

"Why's that amusing to you?" Peter questioned, leaning back up straight.

"It's cute, she was asking me all about you, wondered if you were my boyfriend, I said no, then she asked if you were single, and I said yes. Finally she asked if you were gay-"

"I'm not."

"I know, I told her you weren't but she said, and I quote, 'until you, I've never seen a woman enter, or leave, his apartment'. So, you've really never had a woman in your apartment?"

He shook his head no and she couldn't help but let out a snort of amusement. He narrowed his eyes on her, clearly offended by her noise.

She gave his thighs a gentle squeeze to reassure him that she hadn't intended to hurt his feelings. He just glared back at her.

"You're the first woman to set foot in this apartment." He admitted, lessening the intensity of his glare.

"Oh, how cute." She baited.

"Sydney." Peter growled at her, not amused as she batted her eyelashes at him.

"Why am I so special then?"

"Because you banged on my door. It would have been rude to turn away a guest."

"Aw, you care."

He shook his head at her but immediately a malicious grin of his own presented itself on his face as an idea formed in his brain.

"So I should go talk to this woman?" Peter asked, a serious tone to his voice.

"Um, what?" Sydney jerked her head backwards, a pang of jealousy hitting her now. She hadn't expected him to actually ask about Debbie, no, Debbie was simply for _her_ amusement.

"Well if she's interested in me, I should go talk to her, see if maybe I'd be interested in her too, should I not?"

"I, um, sure."

"Unless there's some reason why I shouldn't?"

"I guess there's not."

"So you wouldn't be jealous if I went and talked to her, right now?"

He slipped out of her grip and made his way to his feet. She turned on the stool and kept her eyes glued to his frame as he wandered towards the front door, making a move to grab his jacket. She cocked her head to the side and let out a low growl, wondering just how far he'd take it.

Remaining in the kitchen, she continued to watch him as he bent down and slipped his shoes on, tying the laces. Sydney tensed on the stool as he stood up straight and set his hand on the doorknob, turning it slightly and popping the front door open.

She dropped her feet to the floor and stood up, wincing slightly as he stepped out and slammed the door shut behind him. A low whimper escaped her throat and she debated chasing after him, admitting that she was a little jealous. They were bed buddies, they had a good thing between the two of them, there was no room for Debbie, not if Sydney had anything to say about it.

Moving swiftly towards the front door, she pulled on her boots and grabbed hold of the door, ignoring the fury growing in the pit of her stomach. He had chosen to go to the other woman, maybe she should let him go. He clearly didn't want her that bad.

An animalistic possessiveness flooded through her veins and she nearly ripped the door off its hinges as she pulled it open, taking off into the hall, towards the stairs.

When she got about halfway to the top of the staircase, a noise caught her attention, a noise that sounded very much like a loud laugh.

She stopped dead in her tracks and slowly turned around, only to spot Peter leaning casually against the wall outside of the apartment, his arms crossed over his chest and the same spiteful grin tugging at his lips. She let out a huff of frustration and planted her hands on her hips.

"Seems as though you're not _really_ a fan of this Debbie character. I must have gotten confused with your praising of her."

"I am not jealous." Sydney ground out; Peter pushed himself away from the wall and slowly stepped towards her.

"Then what is that I smell on you?" He purred.

"Whatever okay, I'm not jealous, I just like sex."

"Ah so I'm merely a means for you to get something you enjoy?"

"If you're going to be an ass about it, you're welcome to actually go to Debbie because with the way you're talking to me right now, you're going to be best friends with your hand if you don't."

"Oh Sydney, don't be like that." His tone of voice was still set on amused, sarcastic even, the grin never leaving its place.

"You're such a dickbag."

"You have nothing to worry about. Why would I put effort into some potential relationship when I have you, a girl who practically threw herself at me."

"Such a dick." She muttered, brushing past him before stomping into the apartment.

Sydney was already sprawled out on her stomach on the bed by the time Peter wandered into his bedroom, no more jacket, no more shoes. He gently sat down next to her and set his palm against her lower back, his thumb gingerly moving back and forth.

"Sydney I'm just teasing."

"Fine."

"I quite enjoy what we do behind closed doors."

"I bet you do."

"You started this you know."

"I was making friends." She shot back and let out a growl.

"And I was _just_ teasing."

Without a hesitation, Sydney pushed herself up into a sitting position and wrapped her arms around him possessively. Leaning her head towards him, she opened her mouth, feeling her teeth shifting into elongated canines before barely piercing his skin with her bite. He tangled his hand in her hair and tugged gently, pulling her jaw away from his skin.

"I wasn't jealous." She murmured softly.

"I know." He nodded and felt the weight of her body relax against him.

Sydney let out a sigh and simply relished in the feel of his hands on her skin. She would never admit it out loud, to anyone, but she was most definitely jealous and Debbie wasn't going to get her hands on Peter, not while Sydney was around anyways.

There were just some things the she laid her claws in and didn't ever want to let go of. Peter Hale was one of those things.

_**XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX**_

She wandered into the kitchen, easily finding Peter exactly where she had left him. The newly purchased cookbook was still open in front of him as he searched for a meal he desired for dinner. She had set the book down in front of him once she had gotten back and his focus was immediately on the book, the pages containing mouth-watering pictures of what she could only assume were delicious recipes.

Now she had something on her mind though. As much as a good cookbook got her excited, she was way too interested in the topic floating around in her brain to join him in comparing tastes.

"You were burned alive pretty much, right?" Sydney pondered out loud, seating herself at the empty stool next to him. She rested her arm on the island top and looked at him curiously, wondering what exactly the level of pain could be compared to. Injuries, wounds and battle scars always fascinated her and at least she could maybe gain some insight from Peter.

"I guess you could say that."

"Right, okay, so was that, like, the worst pain you've ever felt then, or..." She inquired, letting her sentence trail off, hoping he'd jump in and tell her anything about his past injuries.

"It was certainly up there with getting my throat slashed." He countered, his gaze set intensely on her, wondering if he considered her small interrogation rude or just plain amusing.

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that."

"What's the point to all your irritating questions Sydney?"

She cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips in thought. Should she outright tell him that she was just wondering about flesh wounds, or should she attempt to divert the conversation, keeping him in the dark about her interest with blood and guts.

"I don't know. I guess maybe I'm trying to get an idea of what kind of inflictions werewolves can actually recover from."

"It takes a certain _spunk_ to come back from the dead though, don't you go out and not worry about life threatening injuries just because I managed to do it."

"I'm not a complete dimwit." She barked back, wondering if the man in front of her legitimately thought she was dense sometimes.

With a firm nod of his head, he settled his gaze back on the cookbook resting on the island. She hadn't figured he'd be so enveloped in the book when she brought it back to the apartment yet here he sat, slowly flipping through the pages, searching for something Sydney could make him, seeing as she had offered. Taking in a breath, she extended her hand out and rested it against his wrist, his head turning back to face her, a look in his eyes so intense, she removed her hand right away.

"What _is_ the worst injury that you've ever sustained?" She asked hesitantly, hoping she wasn't annoying him too much. The last thing she wanted to do was piss him off to the point where he asked her to leave his apartment, leaving her homeless.

"Since I was technically dead for quite some time, I'm going to go with the throat." He nodded back, a sarcastic tone very evident in his voice.

"Okay, what about this then; what's the worst injury you've sustained without dying?"

"Are you talking most painful or-"

"Oooh yeah, most painful!" She nodded furiously, her body straightening up with excitement.

"Then probably being lit on fire."

"Interesting." She hummed, lifting her finger to her face and gently tapping it against the end of her nose. "What about the grossest?"

"When I was a teenager I was attacked by another werewolf, he nearly ripped the skin on my shoulder clean off."

"Peter fillet, nice." She remarked, her lips curving into a smile.

"I hardly think that's nice Sydney." He scolded her, wondering what on earth was going through her head.

"Right, my bad." She nodded her apologies at him.

"Now it's your turn." He could barely hold back the twitching of the corners of his mouth, the devious grin pulling at his lips. "You're grossest injury, what would that be?"

"I like this game." She beamed. "I took a tree branch to the hip, it went right through me, speared me like a fish."

He shook his head at her, mentally picturing a younger Sydney wandering around temporarily with a semi-large tree branch sticking into her hip and right out the flesh of her back. The internal damage associated with that kind of injury would be immense. The branch would have potentially hit her stomach, kidneys, definitely breaching a few nerves here and there. The muscles would be shredded inside her body, blood building up around the wound and pouring out if it had some place to flow.

"And you're most painful?"

"Anything involving internal organ damage, more specifically my chest. This one fight I got into with this mean looking alpha guy, he punctured my lung and my god did it ever hurt to fucking just breathe. When it hurts to take a breath, you know you're screwed."

"So what happened then?" Peter asked, now insanely hungry for details about her vague statement.

"I got away." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"From an alpha?"

"Uh yup." She nodded.

"Sydney, I'd appreciate a full recollection, not just vague statements."

She let out a huff and hunched her shoulders. Her alpha story wasn't one she was very proud of, who would be if they were her and ended up running away, hiding in some dark alley. She didn't want Peter to know about it, it would give him all the more reason to let him believe she was as weak as Derek truly thought she was.

"I fucked up okay, wandered into this guy's territory and instead of just leaving like any normal girl, I turned on my charm-"

"You mean your attitude?"

"My charm," she ground the word out but nodded her head yes. "He was noble about it though, made all his pack stand down while he tried to kick my ass single-handedly. I held him off for a solid minute or two before he gut punched me. When I hit the ground, he stomped on my chest, broke a rib which ended up puncturing my lung."

"And then he what, just let you get away?" Peter asked, a smug look etched on his face.

"No." She shot back but let out a sad sigh. "I miraculously made it to my feet, punched him in the balls and took off as fast as I possibly could. When I laid eyes on this sketchy alleyway, I ducked behind a dumpster and waited."

"But you survived." He pointed out.

"I did, not one of my finer moments though. But you should've seen this guy, my god, he was huge! Like Arnold Schwarzenegger huge and his pack, Jesus, I swear on my life there were at least twenty other wolves with him."

"Sometimes winning the battle doesn't always involve beating your opponent." Peter remarked and moved to rest his hands on her thighs, leaning in closer to her. She raised a brow but relaxed on the stool, letting him close the distance. When her forehead came to rest against his, she let out huff.

"I know when to run and when to fight. There was no way I was going to make it out of that without being slaughtered if I didn't flee. Even if I managed to hold the alpha off, no doubt I would've had the rest of his pack eviscerating me, ripping me apart limb by limb."

"You don't always have to stay and fight. I won't judge you based on your decision to flee. If you, for one second, think that makes you weak, you're wrong."

"Yeah." She sighed and tipped her head, feeling his lips pressing against hers.

Sydney slipped her hand up and held the back of his neck, holding on to him as he kissed her. It wasn't her finest moment; it wasn't even a moment she was remotely proud of. As far as she was concerned, she'd block out the whole ordeal, denying it ever happened if someone mentioned it. Yet somehow, sitting in front of Peter, she didn't feel weak for running away, she didn't feel the need to hide her fleeing from him, no, he was wise enough to choose his own battles and all he could ever do is hope she'd follow his lead.

Pulling away from her, he leaned back on the stool and moved his hands away her from thighs. She met his gaze and forced an emotionless smile to the surface.

"Do you know what really bothers me when it comes to injuries though?" He asked, peaking her interest.

"No, what?"

"Dislocations. Obviously not the most painful, or the grossest but if you don't pop your joints back in place right away, essentially you've got a dead limb."

"Um, I guess but _I_ really hate broken noses."

"Those are the easiest things to deal with." He argued, wondering just how she dealt with her injuries. Aside from setting the bones and waiting for them to heal, which was fairly quickly: facial wounds always healed faster, there wasn't much more involved in taking care of a broken nose.

"I know, I get that but all you taste, and smell, for days is blood." She smirked and Peter couldn't possibly argue that point. "Plus that plugged up feeling in your face, ugh, so gross."

It was one thing to be in pain from an injury, or to be covered in deep, crimson blood but to taste the coppery liquid long after the injury was healed, there was no doubt about it, that was one of the most bothersome aspects on an injury, ever.

_**An alpha encounter!? Poor Sydney. Let me know what you guys thought?**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Well I wanted to get his up last night before the premier but apparently had other plans...  
**_

_**Thank you to those of you who have taken the time to read this story as well as those of you who have added this story to their alerts and list of favourites!  
**_

_**SilverShadowWolf46: I'm so glad to hear you love this story! Thank you so much! Sydney's 24 in this story.  
**_

_**Guest: Continuing this story? Heck, I've got most of it written already so don't you worry, you'll get to see it right to the end! Thank you so much for your kind words, it means so much to me that you consistently provide feedback!**_

_**Blueskia: Peter's a very hard character to write, often times I'd find myself rewriting portions because it just didn't sound like him. I'm so happy that you like it and please continue to enjoy!**_

_**Female whovian: You're review made me giggle, it makes me feel amazing when people enjoy this story, please continue to read it!**_

_**Alawishus: Peter can be adorable, he just needs the right moment. Thank you for your kind words!**_

_**poorxbrokexcollegexkid: No need to apologize I'm just glad you reviewed it at all! I hope you like this installment...**_

_**The Last of Us**_

_Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.**

**Chapter 5:**

Sydney stood against the wall with the giant window in it, watching the scrawny, but incredibly intelligent, human boy, known as Stiles, as he spread out the blueprints to the bank vault on the large table. She wasn't entirely sure where Isaac was but he had disappeared between the time she and Peter left the day before and the time they arrived that evening.

It had taken quite a bit for her to find out how they had gotten to the conclusion that Boyd, and whoever was with him, were being held at Beacon Hills Memorial Bank. Her intense glare hadn't originally fazed Stiles, but as soon as she growled at him, maybe even dug her claws into his upper arm, he relented and told her everything that had happened in her absence.

Stiles, Scott and Derek had, for all intents and purposes, hypnotized Isaac by submerging him in sub zero temperatures, courtesy of the vet no doubt. The blonde beta had been able to give Derek more to go on, thus coming up with the bank as the location. To top it all off, they had also found out that Erica was most likely already dead, much to Derek's dismay. He was clearly in denial, wanting nothing more than to believe that people close to him weren't dying, again.

So she sat, quietly, in front of them, as Stiles continued to explain the layout of the bank and how some bank robbers had already once gotten into the vault. Her eyes moved away from the three young men standing at the side of the table and locked on Peter, sitting comfortably on the spiral staircase in the corner of the loft. He wasn't looking her way, no his own focus was on the three at the table, wondering how far they were willing to go to save one of their own.

Sydney tore her eyes off of Peter and looked back at Stiles, watching him move animatedly as he explained the robbers' plot.

"Okay, you see this? This is how they got in. It's a rooftop air conditioning vent that leads down inside into the wall of the vault, which is here. Okay? One of the robbers was lowered into this shaft. Now, that space is so small, it took him about twelve hours to drill into that wall, which is stone, by the way, then throughout the rest of the night, they siphoned the cash up to the guys back on the roof through that one little shaft in the wall. Boom."

"Can we fit in there?" Scott asked, Sydney couldn't help but wonder the same thing. She was probably the tiniest of them all and she was having thoughts about fitting in the space, if she even went along with them.

"Yes, we can, but very, very barely and they also patched the wall, obviously, so we're going to need a drill of some kind." Stiles looked up at Sydney, a curious look in his eye. "I'm thinking maybe a diamond bit-"

"Look, forget the drill." Derek cut him off.

"Sorry?" Stiles questioned, looking at Derek. Sydney couldn't help but snort in amusement at Derek's protest. She knew exactly what he was thinking. First of all, there was no time to find a drill and second of all, he had alpha strength, what werewolf hadn't dreamed of punching through a stone wall at some point in their lives, Sydney definitely had.

"If I go in first, how much space do I have?"

"What do you- what do you think you're going to do, Derek? You going to punch through the wall?" Stiles was clearly on the same track as Sydney and Derek now, Peter probably thinking the same thing. She chanced a glance at him, still perched on the staircase and saw the faintest hint of a smirk. Yes, he was definitely on the same page. This kid was easily the most entertaining human she had ever laid eyes on.

"Yes, Stiles, I'm going to punch through the wall." Derek deadpanned, Sydney stifling back a laugh. She just knew the conversation, no, argument, between Derek and the puny human was going to get severely interesting in the next thirty seconds or so.

"Okay, okay, big guy. Let's see it. Let's see that fist, big, old fist. Make it, come on, get it out there, don't be scared, big, bad wolf." Derek lifted his fist and held it towards Stiles. "Yeah, look at that. Okay, see this? That's maybe three inches of room to gather enough force to punch through solid-"

Sydney's loud snort echoed in the loft, everyone but Stiles glancing at her. Stiles was too busy cradling his throbbing palm, bent at the waist as his body flung itself at the table. If the circumstances weren't so morbid, Sydney would have moved from her perch on the window sill and wandered over to the poor boy, maybe even taking some of his pain just to spite Derek. She didn't move though and remained in her position, simply watching now as Stiles slowly rose to his feet, letting out an inhumane whimper as he stumbled away from the table momentarily. Scott raised his arms, almost as if to silently ask Derek if his punching of Stiles was really necessary.

"So?" She egged him on, waiting to here the boy's conclusion, trying not to join Peter as he remained on the stairs snickering lowly to himself.

"He could do it." The boy threw out quickly, still stumbling away from the table.

"I'll get through the wall. Who's following me down?" Derek asked, his eyes moving away from the injured human to scan the room. When he finally stopped gazing around, his eyes landed on Peter.

"Don't look at me, I'm not up to fighting speed yet, and honestly, with Isaac out of commission, you're not looking at very good odds for yourself." Peter stated defensively, barely moving, as he remained calm, sitting on the stairs. Yes he had mentioned Isaac being out of commission, but he clearly hadn't said _her_ name for a reason. There was something about the way he specifically left her out of his statement that didn't sit well with her.

She looked at him, cocking her head to the side. He didn't want her to go. He had stated that she owed Derek nothing and she didn't have to help him if she didn't want to, but now, looking at him, she wondered if _he_ was more concerned with her not going. What was in it for him?

"So I'm supposed to just let them die?" Derek asked, an irritated tone to his voice.

"One of them is already dead."

"We don't _know_ that." Derek retorted, his eyes never leaving Peter.

Sydney couldn't help but feel a pang of hurt in her chest. She had liked Erica, very much and had faith in her as a werewolf. If whatever happened in the vault was enough to cause her death, maybe the rest of them didn't have much of a chance. Erica was always a feisty little thing, much stronger than anyone would have imagined. If she couldn't handle it, maybe they were all in more danger than they thought.

"Do I have to remind you what we're up against here?" Peter asked, his voice also taking on a defensive tone. "A pack of alphas, all of them, killers. And if that's not enough to scare your testicles back into your stomach try to remember that two of them combine bodies to form one giant Alpha. I'm sure Erica and Boyd were sweet kids, they're going to be missed."

Not being able to contribute too much wasn't exactly bothering Sydney. She quite often found herself hanging back, watching other people, and studying them meticulously. Derek was reckless, she had always known that and in the short amount of time she had spent with Peter, she already knew he wasn't going to do anything without thinking it through, figuring out his next move way in advance.

"Could someone kill him again, please?" Stiles broke in, the tension so thick now Sydney could almost feel the oxygen in the room depleting.

"Come on now, let's just take a breath here, chill out a bit, please?" She begged, hating the feeling she was getting, the walls seemed to be getting closer, shrinking around her, and being put in the middle of the two Hales was something she'd like to seriously avoid at all costs. Confrontation with more than one person was not something she wanted.

"Derek, seriously?" Peter glanced her way, almost calming her completely with just one look. "Not worth the risk."

Derek let out a low growl as Peter crossed his arms over his chest. With his uncle off the board, he had to find someone willing to go with him now.

"What about you?" Derek questioned turning to the left, clearly directing his question at Scott.

"Yeah, if you want me to come-" Sydney bit back a giggle though, Stiles didn't even look in Derek's direction, if he had, he would have noticed the question wasn't directed at him.

"Not you." Derek rolled his eyes now and Sydney was trying her damndest not to laugh. This human was far too amusing.

"Scott."

"I don't know about Erica but if Boyd's still alive, we have to do something. We have to try." Scott added, what a noble move on his part. Sydney rolled her eyes now too.

"But?"

"Who's the other girl? The one locked in there with Boyd?"

"What about me?" Sydney chimed in, holding her head high on her shoulders. She glanced at Derek but settled her gaze on Peter. The older Hale simply raised a brow at her, his eyes darkening as he stared at her.

"I think we've got this." Derek answered, expecting her usual protests and pleas but instead, Sydney stepped forward and hoisted herself up onto the table they had been planning on and let her legs dangle from the side. She twisted her body and faced the three younger men in the room, locking her eyes on Stiles.

Stiles looked at Sydney, utterly confused by her sudden submissiveness. He had caught the look Peter had given her and he was insanely curious as to what it meant. Her not arguing with Derek was completely out of character, something was definitely off about Sydney and it all came back to Peter Hale.

Flashing Stiles a seductive little smile, Sydney tore her gaze off of Stiles and looked out the window, watching the moon glow high up in the sky.

_**XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX**_

As soon as Derek and Scott were out of the loft, Sydney dropped off the table and wandered over to the couch, making herself comfortable in the cushions, careful to leave some space between her and Peter, who had also moved away from his perch on the stairs to sit on the couch. She had been warned about the Stilinski boy's perceptiveness and so for that fact, she was supposed to distance herself from Peter.

"How come you didn't go with them?" Stiles asked as he broke the silence, his curious gaze locking on Sydney.

"Derek said no." She shrugged, not looking his way.

"Right but according to him, he's not your alpha anymore, you don't have to listen to him."

"Sue me, so I thought about it for five more seconds. I came to the conclusion that I didn't really feel like going."

"So it had nothing to do with the look he," Stiles pointed a finger at Peter, "gave you?"

"There was a look?" She shot back, playing dumb now.

"She's having trouble distancing herself from her former alpha. I was simply trying to get her to realize she owes him nothing."

She wasn't sure Stiles bought it but he fell silent afterwards. She glanced over at Peter who was completely relaxed in the cushions of the couch, his legs extended, feet resting on the table in front of him. He was rather unconcerned about the boy's questioning so instead of worrying any more about it, she too relaxed into the couch, tucking her legs up under her bum and continuing to watch the full moon out the window.

The silence was nearly deafening, the only sounds were coming from the footsteps of the Stilinski boy, who was pacing next to the window, also watching the moon. She found herself wondering if humans could feel the pull of the full moon too. Maybe they were different when the bright glow of the moon in the sky was full, maybe Stiles was feeling a little off as well. She let out a small sigh and tried to relax into the couch, fighting her own body, not bothering to wonder anymore about Stiles'. She was slowly losing herself to the moon.

"I can't take waiting around like this, you know? It's nerve-racking. My nerves are racked, they're severely racked, racked."

She had found it quite odd that Stiles had stayed in the loft with Peter and her. She hadn't thought much about it until he spoke but when he did, she knew there was some unabsolved tension between him and Peter. Mentally making a note to inquire about it later, she remained silent on the end of the couch, glancing back at Peter to find his eyes now shut in a form of total relaxation.

"I could beat you unconscious and wake you when it's over." Peter stated calmly, a completely serious tone to his voice. Sydney had no doubt in her mind that he would do exactly what he said but she found herself tensing at the thought. She rather enjoyed having Stiles around, if only for the sheer entertainment he provided.

"You think Erica's really dead?" Stiles asked.

"You think I really care?"

"I liked Erica." Sydney mumbled, catching Stiles attention. Peter merely glanced her way but Stiles, no he was staring at her.

"You knew Erica?"

"Of course I did. She and I use to complain about Derek and his incredible leadership qualities." Sydney couldn't help but smile at the memory, the two of them perched on the seats in the abandoned subway station, gossiping and complaining about the way Derek handled the pack. They would have been best friends had it not been for her disappearance shortly after Sydney's arrival in Beacon Hills.

"Oh, that's cute."

"See, I care." Sydney nodded. Even knowing how Peter felt about the missing betas, she could see Stiles visibly relax a bit at her statement. The sad smile on his lips didn't go unnoticed by Sydney though, but she figured if he wanted to say whatever was on his mind, he would. There was clearly something nagging at him.

"I just I don't understand the bank, though, okay?" Stiles had moved on, pushing the sadness of Erica being dead to the back of his mind. The boy seemed to always have more than one thought running through his head. "What like, why wouldn't they chain them up in some underground lair or something? They're an Alpha pack, right? So shouldn't they have a lair?"

"They're werewolves, not bond villains." Peter's smooth voice broke in before Sydney even had a chance to say her peace.

"Wait a sec, wait a sec. Maybe they're living there. You know? Like, maybe the bank vault reminds them of their little wolf dens."

"Wolf dens?" Sydney asked, cocking her head to the side. Man this kid was full of ideas wasn't he? Now she pictured the alphas cuddling up together in a big old hole in the base of a tree, trying to keep warm.

"Yeah, wolf dens." Stiles nodded, most likely picture the same thing. Alphas were less threatening when one could picture them huddled together in a tight space. "Where do you live?"

"In an underground network of caves hidden deep in the woods." Peter answered yet again, his voice stone cold serious. She looked at Stiles now, wondering if the kid was ever not entertaining.

"Whoa, really?"

"No, you idiot, I have an apartment downtown."

"And you?" Stiles turned towards Sydney.

"Well I'm staying with him." She answered, motioning her hand over towards Peter, very careful of her choice of words. She didn't want to say living, living with someone implied some sort of connection, a connection she didn't want anyone knowing about.

"Okay, fine, but still, that just proves that there's something up with the bank. And why wait around for the full moon, huh? Why not just kill them whenever they want to?"

Now her own head was filling up with ideas, possibilities of why anyone would want to keep werewolves in a bank vault. She couldn't deny that Stiles brought up a good point, whether or not Peter seemed too concerned with him. She refused to ignore the uneasy feeling taking over her gut, the moon's pull was certainly becoming more intense, stronger even.

"Maybe they think it's poetic." Peter stated, his hands moving away from his body in a fluid motion.

"They've already had three full moons to be poetic."

"And here you've only had one full hour to be so annoying-"

Sydney rose to her feet a split second before Peter stopped talking, in the middle of his sentence. She practically leaped away from the couch, moving quickly towards the table. She had wished she was paying more attention to Stiles earlier when he was explaining the layout of the bank, and how the robbers had gotten in, now she looked at the plans and saw little more than straight lines.

"No, go ahead, finish what you were saying. I'm an-I'm annoying. What were you going to say there?"

"What are the walls made of?" She and Peter asked at the exact same time, Peter now moving to his feet too.

He wandered towards her and fell in place next to her, the two of them scanning over the plans now as Stiles continued to speak.

"What? Uh I don't know, like, wood and brick or-"

"No, the vault, the vault, the walls, what are they made out of? Where would it say that? Doesn't say anything. Where, where would it say the materials, the type of stone?" Peter grabbed the corners of the plans and started flipping the pages but Sydney knew it wouldn't do much good. She needed to get her hands on the specifications for the bank vault.

"Oh. Oh, hang on, yeah, here, hang on. Here. It's got to be in there."

She watched carefully as Stiles pulled out exactly what she was expecting. A think stack of papers held together that would clearly state every material, every building code reference and every possible construction specification for the entire vault, down to the very colour of paint used on the walls.

She began flipping through the pages, ignoring Peter's hands as he tried to grab hold of the specifications too. Her eyes scanned the pages, looking for any mention of the vault walls, anything to indicate what material the contractors would have used.

Stiles finger darted out and landed just an inch away from the word she was not happy to see.

"There, that's it."

"Hecatolite." Peter stated lowly, his eye meeting Sydney's. She knew the night had gone from entertaining to intense in less than a second at the mention of the material.

"Is that awful? That sounds awful." Stiles asked, looking at Peter, not even bothering to glance at Sydney.

"Get them on the phone, call them. Now!"

"Okay, why?"

"'Cause Boyd and that girl aren't going to kill each other. They're going to kill Derek and Scott."

Sydney stood next to Peter, the two of them watching intently as Stiles dialled Scott's number into his phone. He held it up to his ear, both werewolves able to hear the ringing of the phone. She felt Peter's hand rest on her hip and leaned towards him, still remaining away from him but feeling a little less panicked about what was going on. Maybe everything would have been better though, if only he had kept his hands off her.

Every nerve ending in her body was on high alert now, her hip where he had touched her was tingling. She could feel the blood rushing through her veins, her heart picking up the slightest bit. The muscles in her gut clenched too, leaving her head spinning, filling up with ideas.

She had to keep her head clear though. She had to remain calm. No one was going to be getting help from her if she was panicked and freaking out, even if the situation called for it. No, she had to get her bearings straight, keep herself as priority number one. She had to get her skin to stop burning.

The very clear voice of Scott sounded out from the phone. She, no doubt, would have taken the same tone with the boy had she been in Scott's position but there was something bigger, more important for him to see.

"Scott! Scott! No, listen to me, okay? Look, you got to get out of there. Look, the walls of the vault are made with a mineral called hecatolite, it scatters the moonlight." Stiles threw out, stepping away from the table. Peter followed suit and moved to stand in front of the human, who had now pulled the phone away from his ear and held it between the two of them.

Scott's voice was still very clear, wondering what exactly scattering moonlight had to do with anything. She could also faintly hear Derek's voice in the background, soothing and eerily calm. She could only imagine what was going in inside the vault now.

"Look, it keeps the moonlight out, okay? They haven't felt the full moon in months." Stiles' voice was still frantic but Sydney moved swiftly, closing the distance between her and him, cutting him off.

"Think of it like the gladiators in the Roman coliseum." She started, hoping that Scott would understand the situation better if they compared it to something that happened in history. Peter seemed to catch on and continued for her, her words jumbling in the mess that was now her head before they could get out of her mouth.

"They used to starve the lions for three days, making them more vicious, more out of control. Deucalion has kept them from shifting for three full moons, diminishing their tolerance to it." His presence, his voice, was commanding now and she could feel every last bit of the full moon taking over her body now. Fighting it had always been something she wasn't very fond of. Even at a young age, she would want nothing more than to run through the woods, howling and chasing whatever she could lay her eyes on.

"Scott, they're going to be stronger-"

"-More savage, more bloodthirsty, Scott, they're the lions. They're the starved lions, and you and Derek just stepped into the coliseum." Peter finished and she knew, not only were the two werewolves in the vault in trouble, she could feel the moon pulling on her body now too.

With all the excitement of breaking out Boyd and whoever, she was fighting every ounce of control now, wondering how long she'd be able to hold out but not because she had a desire to hunt down prey and savagely rip the flesh from the bone, no, Sydney knew she would end up in more trouble with her full moon issues.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she willed the pull of the moon away and tried to calm herself. Her ears were barely registering what was going on in the loft, only being able to conclude that Stiles was still very much frantic and even Peter was struggling with the idea of Derek and Scott in the vault with the savage wolves.

"Scott? Hey, Scott! Scott!"

Stiles yelling Scott's name broke her out of her thoughts and she jerked her head upwards, feeling the sharpness of her teeth digging into the soft, moist flesh of her tongue.

"Scott? Scott, are you hearing this? Scott!"

The yelling continued and Sydney struggled to breath easily. Her chest was heaving, her heart pounding and the only thing she wanted to do, she couldn't, at least not with the human standing in the loft.

Her vibrant blue eyes locked on Peter and he knew, there was no doubt that he knew, Sydney wasn't in total control of her own body anymore.

"Stiles go!" He commanded, moving to step around the human boy, firmly pushing on his shoulder. Whether it was for his own protection, or to keep Sydney calmer, he had to get rid of the boy and as soon as he possibly could. He could already picture the female werewolf tearing into the human boy's skin, pulling it away from his bones, ripping muscles and tendons off the joints. It wasn't a pretty picture.

Convincing Stiles wasn't hard at all, without any hesitation on his part, and thankfully without looking at Sydney's glowing blue eyes, he took off out of the loft, the over sized door thudding loudly as it shut behind him.

When Stiles was safely out of the loft, Peter's eyes met hers and she let out a growl, her upper lip snarling slightly. He studied the look in her eye for a quick second and found himself wondering why she was so out of control. Sydney had grown up with Derek and until she moved away from Beacon Hills, the two of them had practically spent every full moon together, training to subdue the urge to maim and kill.

He figured she'd be in total control, very much like Derek and himself, but here she was, standing in front of him, her eyes and teeth half shifted and her chest moving up and down so rapidly, he could almost visualize her heart bursting right out of her chest.

"Sydney." He growled right back at her, trying to subdue her. He braced himself, waiting for her to charge at him. He could hold his own against her, yes she was a strong, independent werewolf but he had twelve years on her, plus he was cunning.

Her body seemed to be somewhat relaxed now, but her teeth were still sharp and her eyes were still blue. At least she was kind of in control, from what he could see.

Her heart was still drumming against her rib cage, her chest heaving.

"I'm not going to attack." She stated, planting her hands on her hips, showing him that her hands weren't in fists, nor were her claws present.

"You should be able to control yourself! You've had years of full moons."

"Yeah but I _always_ find a boy during them." Her lips pulled into a smirk, hoping he'd catch what she was throwing him.

"A boy?"

"God some werewolves get all antsy and angry on the full moon." She purred, back stepping to the table, her butt pressing against the edge of it. "I'm way past that."

He looked at her, confusion taking over his expression. Way past getting antsy and angry yet she had partially shifted in front of a human, an innocent human nonetheless.

"Then what are you doing?"

She hoisted herself up onto the table, pushing the plans over the other side, letting out a satisfied laugh at the sound of the papers rushing to the floor. She spread her legs and planted her palms on the surface of the table between her thighs, leaning forward, taking her lip in between her still sharpened teeth.

"You should really learn more about female werewolves Peter." She smirked, looking up at him as he cautiously walked towards her, moving to stand between her legs.

"I'd like to think I know enough about-"

"You're so very clearly missing the point here."

Her palms pulled away from the table and grabbed the bottom hem of her shirt. His eyes widened as she lifted the garment over her head and let out a laugh, tossing the piece of material backwards, hitting the window.

"Sydney-"

"Can't you smell it?"

"Smell it?"

Her legs wrapped around him, pulling him towards her as she slipped her arms around his neck, tugging his face towards hers. She moved her own face, closing the distance between them before stopping, her mouth right by his ear.

A shiver ran down his spine at her words.

"I want to _feel_ you, every inch of you, inside me." She purred.

**_XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX_**

"I don't understand why we're out here chasing Derek down." Sydney whined, hugging her jacket tighter against her body as she followed Peter through the woods.

"Someone has to make him understand."

"And that's going to be you?" Sydney asked, reaching forward and grabbing his wrist.

He stopped walking and turned around to face her, an almost hurt expression on her face. Maybe he shouldn't have given in to her at the loft, maybe he should have told her no and insisted that he would go on without her, she could easily go back to the apartment and wait for him there but there was something about her.

Peter couldn't turn her down, it didn't matter what she wanted. Whether it be sex, like in the loft, or anything she could possibly dream of, he'd give in to her. There was just something about her. He wouldn't be able to ever say no to her when she asked for something. Often, he wondered if that was one of the reasons he let her walk into his apartment the night she was looking for somewhere to stay.

"Who else is going to be able to make him understand?" Peter asked, an almost frustrated expression playing on his features.

"Well considering he doesn't trust you, I'd say pretty much anyone else in the world." Sydney stated, letting go of the hold she had on his wrist.

"Now's not the time for you-"

"For me to what Peter? Huh? I just think it was really nice of you to make time to fuck me against a table before chasing off after your precious nephew."

"Sydney." He growled, but closed the distance between them, sensing her need to be near him.

"Stop growling at me, I'm not a child."

"You're acting like one." He countered, watching her entire demeanour change.

Letting out a scoff at his words, she turned her back to him and marched away, stepping over protruding tree roots and pushing branches out of her way so as not to take one in the face. It was hard for her to follow him into the woods, knowing he was looking for Derek, even after their own full moon session in the loft, against the table. She figured he'd be easy to convince to go back to the apartment and spend the remainder of the full moon rolling around in bed.

"Sydney!" He called out after her.

Her muscles tensed at the sound of his voice, the feelings still overwhelming her body. She knew what happened to herself during the full moon, which was why she always found a willing partner who she'd spend the night with. It was easy, find a sleazy bar, narrow her sights on a sexy piece of ass, go home with him, and sneak out at the first crack of light.

For years it had worked out well. She'd work off her full moon feelings with whoever was willing and leave them before they even knew what had gone on. It hadn't started happening until she around sixteen though, years before that were spent either with Derek or pent up in her room or the basement as she tried to study, or do something to keep her thoughts away from the moon, high in the sky.

"Sydney wait!"

She turned on her heel and planted her hands on her hips, watching as Peter emerged from the pathway behind her. His hands were shoved into the pockets on the front of his jacket and he looked at her, her glare _nearly_ intimidating him.

"You think I'm a child?" She asked, trying to keep her voice in check.

"That's not what I meant."

"No no, you've suddenly realized you're too good for me because I'm just a child?"

"Sydney no-"

"God I want to punch you so hard right now." She groaned, dropping her hands away from her hips and throwing them into the air.

"Would you just stop?"

"You're such an asshole, you literally _just _massaged me from the inside and now you're telling me that I'm too young for you!"

At the sound of twigs snapping, Sydney and Peter turned their heads to where it had come from. She let out a sigh and gave in, letting the anger towards Peter dissipate from her body.

"Look, someone has to help him realize the bigger picture, this isn't about you and you're certainly _not_ a child."

"I get it, the full moon just gets to me." She admitted sheepishly, taking a step towards him.

"Which disappoints me." Peter added, tensing at the feel of her arms wrapping around him.

"I know, I should be better with control during the full moon."

"You and Derek should be on the same level, more or less."

"Yeah, I got it."

She nuzzled her cheek against his chest and let out a sigh. His hand moved upwards and he ran his hand through her hair, gently tugging at it so she tilted her head back and looked at him.

"Let me find Derek."

"Then we're out of here?" she asked shyly, hoping to just get back to his apartment and more specifically the bedroom.

"Then we're out of here." He nodded.

She fought off the smile pulling at the corners of her lips and moved away from him, taking his hand as she slipped out of his grasp. He held her hand loosely and looked at her, meeting her gaze.

Seconds later, she shook her head at the ear piercing whistling noises sounding out through the forest. As she pulled her hand free, she glanced at Peter, she took note that he was unaffected by the noises, or at the very least he was pretending he wasn't bothered by it. Bending down and shaking her head some more, she tried to focus on anything _but_ the high pitched screeching, eventually finding comfort in the steady rhythm of a heartbeat.

Peter set his hand on her lower back and she straightened up, rubbing her palms against her ears, the noise slowly fading into the loud sounding beat of Peter's heart.

"Come on." He urged, gingerly pushing her forward, falling in step behind her.

"What was that?" She asked quietly, glancing backwards at him.

He narrowed his eyes at her and pointed to the clearing just a few feet away. She watched as Derek bent down and shoved a silvery stake-like object into the ground. Peter walked out into the clearing and Derek immediately glared at him.

"And the hunted becomes the hunter. You really think a few high-tech dog whistles are going to help?" Peter questioned, glancing from Derek to Sydney, somewhat answering her question of what the noise was.

"I don't see you offering a hand." Derek countered, spotting Sydney now standing behind his uncle with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Personally, I'm trying to cut down on futile endeavours."

"Cora's alive."

Sydney's ears perked up at the mention of Derek's little sister. She hadn't exactly been paying attention when Peter's phone had rang in the loft, no she was too busy pulling her clothes back on before a repeat of what they did on the table happened.

"I heard. Let's throw the reunion party when she's not an unstoppable killing machine."

"I can stop her."

"And Boyd?" Sydney asked, wondering if Scott and him were going to be able to stop two out of control werewolves, even with the help of the hunter. They were extremely savage, having missed three entire full moons of shifting. Anyone, no matter how controlled they were, would be a little antsy after not being able to shift for three months worth of full moons.

"Sure you can, by killing them, which happens to be the point of this little exercise. Deucalion wants you to kill them, he wants you to get rid of his baggage, making it easier for you to join his pack. The fact that it was supposed to happen in the vault, and not up here, out in the open, doesn't change his plan, it just means that Boyd and Cora are going to kill a few innocent people first."

"Hey now." Sydney murmured, quietly voicing her dislike of his statement. Completely innocent people never deserved to get hurt.

"And I should just let them? I should be okay with innocent people dying?"

"Unless you're okay killing your own."

She found herself wondering if she could handle the situation better if she were in Derek's shoes. Would she have been as willing to put herself in harm's way to save a few betas, would she sacrifice her own well being for a pair of wolves who wanted nothing more than to main and kill anything that got in their way. Would she have given in and killed them, if it were the only option.

"I can catch them." Derek's words broke her out of her reverie and at that second, she decided that she wouldn't be as heroic as Derek. She wouldn't have just let them die but there was no way she'd put herself in Derek's position. Sydney would have done all she could, and she knew they wouldn't have made it out of the vault alive if she were in Derek's place.

"Oh, come on. How much damage can they do? So they off a few homeless people, a drunk stumbling out of a bar too late, so what? Let Scott deal with it. Let him be the hero of his morally black and white world. The real survivors, you and I, we live in shades of grey. Then again, even if you did kill them, you're still an Alpha." Peter glanced at his nephew then back at Sydney before he crouched down, pressing the top of the silvery stake, the high pitched noise emitting from the stake. "You can always make more werewolves."

Derek took off in a run, not even bothering to glance back at Sydney or Peter. Obviously he knew Peter wasn't going to help him, and Sydney wasn't part of his pack anymore so she didn't have to do anything for him anymore. Part of her wanted to run after him, to make sure he didn't need her help but when her eyes found Peter's, she let out a whimper.

"Is he going to kill them?" She asked, sounding like a scared little child, a sad expression on her face.

"You should know Derek well enough by now to know the answer to that question."

"I do." She nodded, knowing full well that if either of the two savage werewolves died that night, it wasn't going to be because of Derek.

_**A little Sydney and Stiles interaction for you guys! Please review? Let me know what you think!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note:**_

_**You guys are all amazing! Thanks to tayw911, poorxbrokexcollegexkid, 5daysofsummer, the two Guests and Female whovian for the wonderful reviews.  
**_

_**I never set out to make Peter seemed whipped, he just knows it's easier not to argue and to appease her lest he end up with an angry Sydney (who is not as fun). She was Derek's best friend long before she was part of his pack and she knows that no matter what, she'll always support him and do her best to help him out when he needs it. She's stubborn, just as stubborn as Derek and I feel like they work well together as friends. **_

_****__**Thank you to those of you who have even just taken the time to read this story as well as those of you who have added this story to their alerts and list of favourites! I appreciate every single one of you!  
**_

_**The Last of Us**_

_Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.**

**Chapter 6:**

Sydney had shoved the spare key into the front pocket on her skin-tight jeans as she waltzed out the front door of Peter's apartment. He had insisted she take it, if only so that he didn't have to stick around and wait for her to arrive back before leaving. Who knew what was going to come up in his schedule, he was a man with his own agenda and she definitely didn't want to know what he was planning.

She climbed the stairs in the building where Derek's loft was, her boot-covered feet making small thuds as she rose higher and higher on the staircase. It had been a few weeks since she walked out on Derek and just as long since she had spoken to him without the presence of Peter. She wasn't there to beg him to let her back in, she wasn't even there to make nice, she was there to check up on the other werewolves that had once been included in her pack, plus she hadn't seen Cora since she had been back in Beacon Hills and found out the young female Hale was still alive.

She didn't bother knocking, Derek would have smelled her, and heard her too, there was no point in being polite. Instead, Sydney pulled the oversized wooden door open and sauntered inside, shutting it as gently as she could considering the door was three times as big as a normal door.

Derek made his way to his feet from the make shift couch in the corner of the loft. Cora was too busy doing chin ups on an old pipe hanging out of the ceiling to pay any attention to Sydney. Closing the distance between herself and Derek, Sydney forced a smile at him, his eyes narrowing in on her.

"Why are you here?"

"I just came to make sure you were okay." She murmured, not wanting to fight with him just yet, at least not if she could avoid it.

"You smell like him." Derek stated bluntly, cocking his head to the side, his arms now crossed over his chest.

"Oh yeah, like who?" She countered, he was pushing his boundaries. It wasn't like she had a multitude of options on where to stay, no, she was pretty much alone, Derek didn't get the right to judge her.

"Like my uncle."

Sydney took note of the silence from behind her, no more grunting from Cora, no more heavy breathing. She knew the young Hale was looking at her, probably thinking the same thing as her brother. Sydney was an enemy by association if she was with Peter.

"Okay well you tell me where I was supposed to go Derek?" She shot back, a glare on her face.

"I never kicked you out Syd, you left. You were perfectly welcome to stay here."

"I don't stay with people who think I'm weak."

Cora's growl caught her off guard. She had always known the Hales, was always friends with them. Derek was her best friend to start with but she liked Laura and Cora was decent, too young for her to really get to know but nonetheless decent. She'd like to think they were allies, no matter what was going on but Cora was obviously on Derek's side. Sydney let out a growl of her own and relaxed at the sound of Cora jumping off the ground.

Derek looked past Sydney, watching carefully as Cora hopped back up onto her chin up bar. He let out a sigh of frustration, watching her weakened muscles work in overdrive. Sydney turned to watch her too, wincing at the actions of the young girl. She stepped towards the spiral staircase and watched on as Derek walked over towards his sister, his arms still crossed over his chest. Sydney climbed about halfway up the stairs and took a seat, watching the siblings in action.

They were bickering back and forth, Derek stating that she wasn't done healing, Cora biting back with a plea for him to help her go after them. Sydney's gut twisted at the thought. Who in their right mind just goes after an alpha pack? Cora Hale apparently.

She tensed on the staircase now, watching as Cora was kicked to the ground. She jumped to her feet and tried to punch the older sibling. Sydney fought back a snort of amusement, her ears perking at the speech flowing out of her lips.

"Kicking his ass should be easy." Sydney jeered, slowly rising to her feet. Derek shot her a menacing look before she decided it was best for her to sit back down, but moving up a few more stairs as she tried to get a better view of the loft.

"You stay out of it." Cora growled right back at the girl.

"Hey I didn't do anything!"

"You showed your traitorous face in this loft."

"Again, where was I supposed to go?" Sydney shot back, ready for a fight now. There was no doubt in her mind she could take out the young Hale with little effort, but she knew Cora wouldn't go down without a vicious fight.

Cora tensed up, ready to defend herself against Sydney but the loud, blaring noise of the alarm sounded out in the loft. Sydney slipped up to the top of the stairs and crouched down, hoping none of the intruders would see her. She'd have a much better defensive strategy if she had the element of surprise on her side.

Watching Cora take off after the immensely large male werewolf that had entered the loft, Sydney nodded her approval. She had guts and if Sydney was on the floor with Cora, she would have been right behind her, but that was only if she couldn't have the element of surprise on her side. Instead, she settled into a crouch and watched the younger Hale get her ass handed to her.

When the vicious looking, barefooted, female alpha wandered into the loft, Sydney winced. Should she hop down and kick ass or should she stay hidden, waiting to see what was going on?

Before she could decide, Derek was on the ground, a pipe shoved through his body. She didn't have the numbers on her side anymore, there was no chance she was going to be able to hold her own. When the blind man sauntered into the loft, Sydney ducked back further into the shadows, her ears on high alert.

Cora's eyes met hers, almost pleading with her to stay hidden before she ended up hurt too. Of course Sydney was a tough werewolf but there was no way she wasn't leaving the loft unharmed if she presented herself, if she left alive at all.

Focusing on keeping her heart rate on time with Cora's, she stayed on the higher level and listened as the blind man, the leader, the infamous Deucalion chatted it up with Derek, ignoring the fact that there was a pipe in his body where his internal organs should have been.

These wolves had officially made Sydney's shit list, starting with the woman who refused to cover her gross feet. She twisted the pipe in Derek's body, the entire loft silent except for Deucalion's eerily calm voice.

Minutes passed, seconds felt like hours as Sydney remained crouched in the shadows, her legs growing stiff under her own weight. She slowly reached up and covered her mouth, fearful that she'd make a noise, a grunt of pain, a whimper of discomfort, anything.

When the malicious she wolf finally spoke, it was hauntingly disturbing, the entire topic of conversation moving on to killing packs. They had all once been alphas of separate packs, but the slaughtering had ended that, now they were one, giant, badass alpha pack. Turning her head behind her, Sydney shut her eyes and mentally begged that she'd make it out of the loft unscathed, and also that Derek and Cora wouldn't be too badly injured, aside from the pipe in Derek's gut.

She could hear the droplets of blood hitting the floor from the pipe, she could smell the desperation radiating off Derek's body. Was she going to fight? She needed a plan but her thoughts were mixing together and all she could think of was creating a distraction, giving the Hales an opportunity to run. That would essentially mean sacrificing herself, which wouldn't end well for her.

Letting out a silent breath of relief as Kali exhumed the pipe from Derek's chest, Sydney's heart lurched. The blind man was crazy, absolutely insane. One second he was proclaiming he was a demon wolf, the next second his calm demeanour was right back.

Sydney hoisted herself over the railing and landed with a small thud on the floor below seconds after the large door shut, the alphas leaving the loft for the time being. Her eyes locked on Cora's, the youngest Hale looking absolutely terrified at what had just gone down, maybe even a little perturbed that Sydney had just sat back and watched it happen.

"Derek." Sydney whimpered, dropping to her knees in front of him, Cora hanging on to him for dear life.

"Go home Sydney." He ground out.

She nodded, not wanting to make him argue with her, but before she stood up, she took his arm, grasped it tightly and shut her eyes.

Cora took in a sharp breath, watching as the pain flowed through Derek's arm, his veins turning black as it happened. When Sydney relaxed on her haunches, taking as much of his pain as she could, Cora narrowed her eyes at her, not needing words to express her gratitude for what she had just done.

"I'll be around." Sydney whispered as she climbed to her feet. She made her way across the loft, stopping at the giant door.

When she looked back, her stomach dropped at the sight. There, laying on the floor of his very own loft was Derek, an immense pool of his blood underneath his body. Taking the image with her, Sydney made her way out into the hallway, shutting the door behind her and leaving the loft unwanted, and not for the first time.

_**XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX**_

She didn't know if she had expected Peter to be in his apartment when she got back, she didn't know if she cared. She couldn't shake the horrendous image of Derek in a pool of his own blood, the desperate look in Cora's eyes as she clung to her brother. It would haunt her forever.

"Motherfuckers." She cursed lowly, shoving the key in the lock and turning it.

When she pushed the door open, she was met with Peter's amused gaze. He had clearly heard her cursing just now and always seemed to find it rather entertaining when she was frustrated.

"Bad day at the office?" He questioned from his perch at the kitchen island, a favourite place of his it would seem. This time, opened up on the countertop in front of him was the newspaper.

"You know, remind me to put jamming a pipe through someone's stomach on my list of effective offences." She answered with a roll of her eyes.

She tugged her boots off of her feet and tossed them against the now shut door, letting out a growl of frustration in the process. Her sock feet made significantly less noise as she crossed the room and settled herself down on the stool next to Peter's.

"Your recovery time is incredible." He smirked, looking at her body, taking in the unharmed sight of her stomach, her perfectly untouched t-shirt. "So much so that I'm going to assume you didn't actually experience that."

"No, Derek."

"And who, might I ask, was using the pipe."

"Kali." Sydney forced out, dropping her hands against the counter top, covering up a significant amount of the newspaper.

She didn't miss his shock at her statement. She met his surprised gaze with a sigh, knowing she was going to have to recount her tale to him; he'd want to know every little detail, especially when it came to the alpha pack.

"Where were you that you ran into Kali?"

"Well her and Ennis showed up at the loft shortly after I got there. Ennis kicked the shit out of Cora, Kali jammed a pipe _through_ Derek and then Deucalion decided to make his grand entrance. That man is epically freaky."

"And through all of this, you remained unscathed?"

She nodded her head, almost in shame. While the two of them were getting the crap beat out of them, she was hiding above them, trying to stay out of sight. Cowardice, maybe, but she was alive and that's all that mattered now.

"I hid, watched the whole thing go down from above."

"Did you gain any insight?"

"Yeah actually," her body tensed the slightest bit as his hand roamed across her thigh, but she relaxed as he smirked at her, "they want Derek to kill his pack."

"Which no longer includes you, correct?"

"Yes." She stated, shifting on the edge of the stool and moving closer to him.

"As much as Derek is my family, I do believe he's as incompetent as they come."

"Okay but you and I both know he's not going to kill his pack, which means he's probably going to die trying to keep them alive."

"You shouldn't concern yourself with pack problems anymore."

"He's been my best friend for years, I'm not just going to let him die." She shot back, her frustration at not being wanted in Derek's pack bubbling over.

He was as stubborn as they came, but she knew she didn't always help him out. She had first walked out of the loft because he had implied she wasn't wanted, that she always got in the way, she was weak and packs didn't need weak links. The second time she walked out because he was angry at her, for coming back when she had already left, for staying with his untrustworthy uncle. She had simply walked out, not wanting to fight with an already decrepit Derek.

"Then you need a plan."

"And I up with my best plans in the shower." She retorted, a grin playing on her lips.

She hopped off the stool, broke away from Peter and sashayed out of the kitchen, towards the bathroom. Stripping off her jacket first, she dropped it to the floor. Her entire body paused just outside the bathroom; her head tilted back to catch his gaze before she grabbed the bottom hem of her t-shirt and lifted it over her head.

He just watched her, taking in the sight of her bare back, the only thing breaking up the sight was the band of her black satin bra. Sydney let out an amused laugh as she nodded her head, motioning for him to join her. His feet hit the ground and he walked to meet her, his fingers running across her shoulders, over her neck, feeling her pulse beneath his extremities.

"I won't bite." She promised in a sultry tone. "Unless you want me to."

**_XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX_**

Her chin rested against his chest as she lay nearly on top of him, her eyes half shut as she waited for sleep to take over. His arm was around her shoulders, his fingers playing with her soft brown hair, a look of contentment on his face. There was something about the man in bed with her that she was drawn to. If anyone had asked her if she envisioned herself being in bed with Peter Hale, she would have scoffed, maybe even barfed a little, but now she was finding herself calmer around him.

She had always been a pretty rash person, even as a child she found herself getting into trouble on a regular basis. What was left of her memories were simply times when she would come home from school, her mother meeting her at the door with a glare on her face before rolling her shoulders back and asking tiny little Sydney 'what did you do this time'.

Her head shifted, tilting upwards to meet his eyes, the electric blue irises looking down at her. She focused her energy and matched his blue eyes with her very own. She could only imagine how many innocent people he had killed, whether he thought they deserved it or not, but the memory of her changing irises plagued her.

"They say your eyes turn blue when you kill an innocent person right?" She asked, her expression nearing the epitome of shy.

"I believe innocent has a vague definition but yes."

"Okay well fuck that, the guy I killed was far from it." She stated softly, feeling his weight shift on the bed as he sat up a little bit, pulling Sydney with him.

"You've peeked my interest, how do you figure that?"

She looked at him as if he were absurdly stupid before opening her mouth to utter the words, "pretty sure sexual assault is illegal."

His entire body went tense, the motion of his fingers in her hair stopped as he took in what she had said. Some man, some pesky _innocent_ man laid his hands on Sydney.

"What?" he snapped, trying and failing to keep his anger in check

"Okay maybe it was more of an attempted sexual assault," Peter's muscles relaxed the slightest bit at her detailed addition. "Either way, this guy was not an outstanding citizen. I think I did the world a favour."

"You mean he tried to assault you-"

"I think he was actually trying to rape me."

"So you-"

"Ripped his throat out, with my teeth."

His silence didn't comfort her, not one bit. She listened carefully, taking in the sound of his heart beating just the slightest bit faster. He was mad, at the guy for trying to rape her? She doubted Peter cared that much, if he cared at all. Maybe he was mad because she was supposed to be stronger than that, she never should have let the creep get that far.

"Derek helped me bury his body." She added in a mumble.

"Derek knew?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's why he always treated me like a child. You know like 'oh Syd, you couldn't even handle a human man without killing him, you're not a very good werewolf'. I don't know, stupid Derek."

He let out a sigh and pulled her up more, shifting so that her head was now resting against his shoulder. His hand moved out of her hand, instead he used his fingers to tilt her chin upwards so he could study her face. She shied away from his gaze but the gentle hum from his throat pulled her eyes right back up to his.

"Derek's not always very competent in bad situations."

"He's pretty good at digging graves." She replied sarcastically.

"So you and Derek buried him, how romantic."

"He's definitely not a romantic person." She giggled, reminiscing about the many times she was with Derek, just hanging out as friends.

Peter let out a huff of amusement at her words but didn't break his serious demeanor. She slid her palm across his chest and gently drummed her fingers over the skin just over his heart. At her simple action, he relaxed completely against her, his lips brushing across her forehead.

"You and Derek never did anything that I should be concerned about, did you?" He asked quickly, fearing she'd laugh in his face, or scowl at his interest in her personal life.

"You mean like sex? Nope. He's never really been that interested in me. To be honest, I don't believe we've ever even kissed."

"That's intriguing."

"What's more intriguing is the fact that he turned down a perfectly good opportunity to be _my_ first kiss." She grinned at Peter; a look of confusion crossed his face.

"You asked him to be your first kiss?"

"Not exactly. I asked him if he could _teach_ me how to kiss, I didn't want to go on my first date without some kind of experience." She seemed to be enjoying herself as she told him every word, her grin never leaving her face and her tone taking on a lightness he hadn't ever really heard from her.

"I'm sure it wasn't all bad for the poor boy." He smirked right back at her, clearly teasing her kissing abilities.

"It was probably pretty good, thanks to Laura." She chuckled at him, a mischievous gleam in her eye. Sydney sat up, moving away from him now as she wiggled against the bed.

Peter watched her curiously as she flipped her legs out from under the sheets, tucking them under her butt as she kneeled next to him, her palms on his thighs as she leaned forward. His breathing hitched at her action as he drank in the sight of her body covered in nothing but a flimsy white t-shirt. It didn't matter how many opportunities she presented for him to admire her perfect body, he'd take every single one, not missing a beat.

"Laura told you how to kiss properly?" His arms crossed over his chest, Sydney just cocked her head the side with an amused look on her face.

"Told me! Ha, you're adorable Peter. She full on showed me, complete with actual demonstration. My first kiss was from Laura Hale."

His eyes widened at her confession, slightly taken aback but also slightly aroused. She was a completely unpredictable person. If her past showed him anything, it definitely proved that. She took a deep breath and her eyes narrowed on his smug face, obviously smelling the sexual tension now in the air.

"Don't call me adorable."

"That's what you're going to come back with. Wow." She rolled her eyes at him but didn't move a muscle.

His back straightened and his arms uncrossed as he slid across the sheets, his legs brushing against her kneecaps. She had to move her hands away from him but planted them right back on his body, this time on his shoulders, leaning closer to him and pressing her forehead against his.

"I'm simply trying to decide if your bi-curious past concerns me or not."

"Bi-curious, one kiss is not bi-curious."

"Very true, sometimes kisses mean nothing at all."

Sydney couldn't help but smile at him. She adored his obliviousness to her past, maybe even relished in it. He had very little to judge her on, knowing her slightly when she was a child but for the most part, he wasn't really in her life, not until she knocked on his door. He had always simply treated her like she was a capable female werewolf; the one thing she didn't have to ask of him and it meant the world to her.

"You're my favourite Hale." She laughed, throwing her one leg over his.

His fingers bit into her hips as he steadied her over his legs, gripping tightly to her smooth skin as she planted herself on his thighs, leaning forward and meetings his lips with her own. He squeezed his fingers against her hips and held her firmly in place as he reciprocated the kiss. Her body melted against his, her back arching from the pressure of his hands on her hips.

"Does this kiss mean anything?" She breathed, pausing briefly but going right back to kissing him, her lips venturing to his jaw and down to his neck.

"It doesn't fall into the meaningless category." He groaned, fighting internally over the feelings coming to surface.

She was just a girl, a young, lonely girl, but he couldn't help himself. She had offered him her body, her flawless, gorgeous body and he wasn't going to turn her down, not now, not ever.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Sydney and Derek are childhood best friends. A better explanation will come later on though (and a glimpse into her past) and hopefully all will become very clear. Sydney would even treat Derek like a brother, they're practically family.**_

_**You guys never cease to amaze me and make me feel really good about this story! Thanks to those of you who have added this story to their alerts and favourites!  
**_

_**If any of you have any questions or concerns or anything really, feel free to leave it in a review or PM. If you just want to discuss Teen Wolf (HEY new episode tonight), I'm all ears!**_

_**Special thanks to poorxbrokexcollegexkid, Female whovian, Erudessa-gabrielle and the Guests that took the time to review!  
**_

_**The Last of Us**_

_Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.**

**Chapter 7:**

Sydney could feel his fingers roaming through her hair, she was tucked against the side of his body, his right hand wrapped under her t-shirt covered form, the forearm underneath the side of her breast while his left hand ran through her hair, over and over, soothing her. He wasn't trying to play that role, she knew it, but nonetheless his calloused fingertips slid over her scalp, providing a sense of calm that she'd rarely experienced in the past.

Her mind drifted, like it so often did lately, to what she was hoping the outcome of the next few weeks would be. It wasn't like she had planned on depending on the man behind her in the bed when she had first knocked on the door to his apartment. In her head he was strictly a tool she could use for revenge, to show them all that she was powerful, cunning and able to hold her own. She wanted to prove it didn't matter what she was, beta or omega, she'd be able to take care of herself. Now she found herself wondering if she could actually continue on without Peter Hale by her side.

He shifted his right arm and nudged her closer to him, her back pressing into his front, her sharp shoulder blades digging into his chest, through the material of his shirt to press into his skin. She held her breath momentarily, wondering what he was doing, before he simply relaxed into the sheets and nuzzled his nose into the back of her neck.

She could feel her heartbeat picking up in pace as she considered the possibilities. There was no way she could double cross him now, not with the way her feelings had developed. She hated the feelings that had grown in her heart. She simply remained in his arms, hoping he wouldn't confront her about her spiking heartbeat.

It's not like she would ever have thought she could fall in love with him, or anyone for that matter. The first man she had ever been in love with had died, her heart breaking still even years later. Then there was Derek. She had never, ever, loved him but she knew that there was always something there. She had buried it deep down when he had brushed her aside, claiming she was 'getting in the way'. All Sydney had ever wanted was to be strong, recognizably so, and he had pushed her out of that category the second he suggested she wasn't being particularly helpful.

She had held her own for years before returning to Beacon Hills, going up against Alphas, not winning, not even finishing the fights cleanly, but she had survived and Derek was still treating her like the little girl he had known so many years ago. Not Peter, not ever Peter.

He had always treated her like an equal, as far as he could. He still had a good twelve years experience on her for being a werewolf, things would have happened to him that she would never have been exposed to but just because he was more experienced didn't mean he treated her like a useless hindrance. No, he took notice of her will to be more cunning, more intelligent, whereas Derek had always been a 'shoot now, ask questions later' kind of guy.

So she lay next to the older Hale, hoping her heartbeat would slow back down soon. It was pounding so hard, she swore she could feel it drumming against her ribcage at the thoughts flooding through her mind. There was no way she could love a man like Peter Hale, yet here she was, trying to get her heart to stop jumping like an excited teenager at the thought of exactly that.

"Are you alright?" He murmured against the back of her neck.

"Fine." She shot back, knowing he could sense the anxiety flowing off of her in waves, but hoping he wouldn't push it too much.

"Your heart's pounding Sydney."

She bit her lip, desperately searching for an excuse, any reason at all for the spike in her heartbeat that would seem plausible. He had never, ever called her out on her erratic heartbeat before.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just scared." She tried to play it off as nonchalantly as she possibly could, hoping he'd believe it, but her body tensed as the hand that was wrapped around her loosened, resting on her hip now.

"You never get scared." His voice was soft yet confused. For the entire duration that he had been with her, there had never been anything to scare Sydney, at least not enough for him to pick up on it, nothing like this. "Is it the alpha pack?"

Damn him, she couldn't lie about that. She wanted to be strong and powerful, admitting she was scared of a pack of alphas would destroy that. Plus it wasn't true, if her heart was pounding now, she couldn't even begin to imagine what it would do at the lie.

"No." She shook her head the slightest bit, feeling him move as he pulled his head away from her.

The bed shifted as he propped himself up on his elbow, looking over her shoulder at her, trying to read her expression. She turned her head and faced him, her eyes wide, her lips pressed tightly together.

"Excited to take out one of the alpha pack?" He asked, already knowing that the reason her heartbeat had spiked was not due to her being excited. With more than ten years experience on her, he could easily tell the difference between heartbeats, it provided him with a way to read emotions and she was scared. He didn't want to corner her though, he knew what she was capable of when cornered and it wouldn't end well for him.

"No, it's not the alpha pack at all." She admitted, shifting her lower half so she was laying flat on her back. He leaned down, intending to kiss her, but she pressed her palms against his t-shirt covered chest and held him back.

"Sydney…" He started, the tone of his voice was just short of a whine and she hated that.

"I think I'm in love with you." She whispered, her eyes instantly dropping to the bed beneath her. Her heart pounded harder, almost paining her. Her hands dropped to the bed like dead weight.

Rejection had always been a hard thing for Sydney to deal with. It didn't help that she knew, oh how she knew, Peter felt about her. Sure they slept together and he'd always hold on to her at night, even going as far as to comfort her, nuzzling his nose against any dip or alcove of her body that he could easily access, but it wasn't out of love.

Then there was the age gap. Twelve years. She was a measly twenty-four and he was thirty-six. There was no way it should have happened. She knew better than to mix business and pleasure, she should have put a stop to it long ago, but there was something about him, always something about him. She just couldn't help herself.

"That's rather concerning." He muttered, slowly sliding his arm out from underneath her. She felt the cold as he shifted his body away from her, pushing himself up into a sitting position, leaning his back against the headboard.

"I know okay, I don't need a speech about how you don't feel the same way, I've gotten those all my life. I just, you pushed it and that's what's happening right now, so deal with it."

"Feisty."

"I'm going to go." She muttered, moving to roll away from him.

His fingers bit into the skin on her bicep as he grabbed her, holding her in his bed. She let out a low growl at the action, hating the feeling of his nails slicing into her skin. He immediately loosened his grip. When she finally met his gaze, he nodded his head beside him, wanting her to sit up next to him.

Sydney pressed her palms into the mattress and forced her bum to slide upwards so that she sat next to him. He hadn't said a word yet, wouldn't even look at her, but she sat right next to him, watching, waiting for him to finish saying the words in his head before he finally said them out loud.

"What I feel for you," he started, pausing to take a breath, "goes beyond just physical attraction."

"That just means that the sex didn't suck for you." She shot out at him, a scowl taking up residence on her face.

"It didn't, but that's not what I'm trying to say here."

"What?"

"You're young, much younger than I am, but you can't help what you're feeling-"

"Fuck you Peter, just fuck you okay, don't try to analyze me, don't treat me like a child because I'm not. I know what you're thinking, 'oh she's got a crush and who wouldn't, I'm an attractive man but she'll get over it'. Am I close?"

"Well no-"

"It's not a crush okay, I've had crushes before and I get it, people get over them but this is so much more. Just now, when my heart rate spiked I was thinking about what happens after this whole alpha thing. I could easily walk away from here, from you, in the beginning but now, fuck you Peter, I don't want my future to not include you."

"Sydney, I won't say that I love you back-"

"I'm not asking you too, god damn, I know you couldn't possibly-"

"I could." He cocked his head to the side, chancing a glance at her. She fell silent, her lip between her teeth now as she contemplated what to do now.

"I want you to be an alpha, _my_ alpha, so bad it hurts." She uttered, lifting her head and meeting his gaze.

"You've been trying to prove you don't need an alpha for so long, why would you go and say something like that now?"

"Because I love you. I want you to lead me, to take me with you wherever you go. I'll submit to you, I will, if that's what you want me to do, I'll do anything for you."

"This doesn't exactly follow my plan." He muttered, shaking his head. Her legs moved slightly as she crossed them at her ankles, her toes moving as she fidgeted.

"Fuck your damn plan." She muttered right back.

"But my plan had you as an alpha too." He smirked, catching her gaze now. She studied the intense blue of his eyes, her heartbeat dropping back down to a semi-normal pace.

"Why?"

"There's no way I could trust you to sleep next to me if you weren't an alpha yourself."

"You think I'd kill you in your sleep to steal your alpha powers?"

"Well I did, now that you've gone and stated that you love me, that little piece of information changes that theory a little bit now doesn't it?"

She let out a loud sigh, not knowing how to answer his question honestly. Yes, she had admitted she was in love with him but he had yet to say that he loved her. He said he _could_ love her, but what did that even mean? Would he have to_ learn_ to love her or was he just not ready to give in to his own feelings. She dropped her forehead against his shoulder, giving up trying to figure it out. Peter would tell her all he wanted her to hear, when he wanted her to hear it, there was no fighting it, no convincing him otherwise, he had his own agenda and she could only imagine she'd continue to be a part of it.

"Our own little alpha pack." He purred, his chin resting gingerly against the top of her head.

"With two people? Sounds like a death wish to me."

"Oh but Sydney, Derek's an alpha now isn't he. I'm sure with some _persuading_ he'd be more than willing to join us. And our little Scott, he's well on his way."

She flinched at the truth to his words. Sure there were other alphas they could recruit but did she really want that, to be part of their very own alpha pack?

"Have you considered offering Deucalion a deal?" She threw out, hoping he'd hear her out before he shot her down completely.

When his hand moved to rest against her thigh, she took in a deep breath and prepared herself for his critique of her half-baked idea. She snuggled against him, slipping her legs over his, tangling her limbs with his; desperate to feel his body intermingled with hers.

Letting out the breath she pressed forward, "I mean, he's not an unreasonable man, we only need one of his pack to die at your hands-"

"What about you?"

"Start small Peter, come on. If we tell him that we plan on taking down two of his pack members, what's he going to do, probably laugh in our faces. That won't happen. You offer him Scott in exchange for an easy kill."

"And you thought I'd be getting rid of you. Sydney your logic alone dictates that you're a very valuable asset."

"Oh."

"Do go on though, I'm sure there's more to your plan."

"Well, he has to be getting tired of dealing with his pack by now. I can't imagine they'd be too compliant, especially with the twins and their developing relationships. What more could he possibly ask for than someone who is completely loyal to the cause?"

"Would I really be loyal though, to this Demon Wolf?"

"No, to me." She shot back before she could catch herself. Peter's fingers curled against her thigh, she squirmed in his grasp, not expecting the reaction he was currently giving her.

She whimpered as his fingers squeezed against her smooth, flawless skin. Her head snapped upwards as he dug his fingers into her thigh further, the force threatening to break skin. She tried to glare at him but the fearful look in her eyes took over and Peter just glowered at her.

"You want me to be loyal to you?" His voice was louder than she anticipated, booming through the empty room. She tried to cower away from him but he simply leaned forward, eliminating any space she would have put between them.

"I- Peter stop, I didn't mean it like that, not in the werewolf sense." She begged, fearful of what he might do to her.

"You're suggesting what then?"

"The relationship sense." She breathed, mentally preparing herself for a battle, verbal or physical, she wasn't entirely sure.

"What like a mated pair?"

"It would make you stronger."

"Yes but I'd have to worry about you then wouldn't I?"

"Instinctually, probably, but I can take care of myself, I mean, it was just an idea." She shied away from his piercing gaze but noticed that the tense muscles in his arms had relaxed, his fingers uncurling from her skin.

"I'll deny every word of this if you ever try to tell anyone but I already worry about you." He admitted, circling his arm around her now, his fingers gently gripping her side.

"So what happens now?" She asked, relaxing against him, curling into his side.

"We work out the details."

When her head tilted up to meet his gaze, she couldn't help but smile at him. Derek never would have listened to her, even if what she had to say made complete sense but he was too stubborn to share his 'leader of the pack' status. It was nice to be treated as an equal.

"Can you do something for me?" She asked quietly, her eyes glistening slightly as she continued to look at him.

"That depends on what you want me to do?"

"It's going to sound really lame but can you just go back to playing with my hair?"

Peter flashed her a little smile before tangling his fingers back into her hair. She relaxed against him and let out a delighted sigh.

"You're easy to appease." He chuckled lightly.

"You're the first person to do it since I came back to Beacon Hills, it's really enjoyable."

"How enjoyable?"

Instead of answering with words, her body shifted against his and she sat up straighter, lifting her arms upwards. Gently, she reached her hands towards him and ran her own fingertips through his hair, her nails raking over his scalp. Repeating the motions a few more times, Sydney let out a snicker of her own. His forehead dropped against hers and when he smirked at her, she knew he felt the same way.

**_Can I get a review or two, pretty please?_**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Still with all the amazing and kind words! You guys are amazing!**_

_**Thanks to those newbies of you who have added this story to their alerts and favourites!  
**_

_**If any of you have any questions or concerns or anything really, feel free to leave it in a review or PM. If you just want to discuss Teen Wolf that's cool too!**_

_**There won't be an obvious POV from Peter but there's a few glimpses into what's going on his head. I'm trying to just keep it flowing smoothly the best way I know how...**_

_****__**Special thanks to WickedlyMinx, Toshiba234, poorxbrokexcollegexkid, Erudessa-gabrielle, Luna888 and the Guests that took the time to review!**_

_**The Last of Us**_

_Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.**

**Chapter 8:**

Her fingers were fiddling with the hemline of her t-shirt, tucking the front of it into her jeans as she tried to keep herself occupied. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about the whole thing but Peter had informed her that he was going to be helping Derek plan an attack, which he didn't actually figure on being a part of. Naturally she followed him willingly.

As she stood near Peter at the end of the table, still fidgeting with her clothes, Sydney tried not to touch him, not to give any inkling that they were more than roommates. It was hard, she was restless inside the loft, nervous even. The anxiety in her system was caused by the thought of Derek attacking a pack of alphas as well as someone, somehow finding out about her relationship with his uncle.

Stiles wasn't at the loft, for whatever reason, and Sydney was extremely thankful for that. The teenager was way too observant for her liking, nearly figuring it all out earlier. Cora, however, had set her glare on her as soon as she wandered into the loft tailing behind her uncle. She didn't have to even say anything to Sydney to know that her presence was unwanted inside the loft.

"What is your problem?" The youngest Hale asked, her eyes still boring into Sydney as she posed the question. Apparently other people had taken notice of her fidgeting, and it was getting on their nerves.

"My problem? I don't have a problem." Sydney shot back, not one to shy away from an argument, especially with the one and only Cora Hale.

"Then stop moving so much."

"Excuse me!"

"You heard me, or do I need to clean your ears out?"

Sydney's jaw dropped open, not totally believing she was willing to threaten her in front of everyone. Derek wouldn't exactly protect Sydney but he wouldn't let them duke it out in the loft, probably. She wasn't entirely sure what Peter would do but he most likely wouldn't let either girl land any punches and Boyd, well she didn't know much about Boyd but she figured after spending three months locked in a vault with Cora, they'd obviously be pretty tight.

"If you don't like me, why don't you fucking do something about it, _little_ girl?" Sydney challenged her, straightening up, rising to her full height, which was a few inches taller than Cora.

Cora too straightened up and took a step around the table, moving to stand directly in front of Sydney, a werewolf who had a good five years on her, who was taller and most definitely more experienced. Planting her hands on her hips, Sydney lifted her chin, held her head high and peered down at Cora.

"You don't belong here." Cora snarled.

"Neither do you." Sydney barked right back, knowing that she had been absent for the last six years, whereas she had been right behind Derek for most of the last seven.

Derek crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the two girls, standing face to face, Cora's fist clenched at her side, Sydney's hands still firmly on her hips. Peter, too, was watching the two of them, wondering who would strike first. He wanted to see Sydney fight, had always found himself wondering how well she'd do and Cora seemed like a worthy opponent, unfortunately he didn't want to see either girl get hurt. One was family; the other was so much more.

"Is this really a good time?" Boyd broke in, letting out a low growl, trying to make his presence known so that the girls wouldn't start going at each other.

"Any time is a good time for an ass kicking." Sydney shot back, her eyes never leaving Cora's.

"Cora," Derek's commanding voice sounded out in the loft, "Stand down."

Sydney wasn't entirely surprised he didn't go after her, she wasn't part of his pack and had made that very clear previously. He had no control over her; he barely had control over her when she _was_ part of his pack.

"Why should I be the one to stand down?"

"Because I don't have an alpha." Sydney smirked at her, barely holding back the fact that she was eventually going to be her own alpha. The time for that would come later.

"Cora!" Derek warned her, nodding at Boyd, who made a move to get closer in case she didn't stand down, which was a big possibility.

Without a second's hesitation, his younger sister lunged at Sydney, wrapping her arms around Sydney's waist and hauling her to the floor. Sydney rolled them both over and now straddled the younger Hale's waist as she blocked the spastic punches coming at her. The two of them struggled against each other, Cora writhing beneath Sydney, Sydney hanging on to her wrists with everything she had, not wanting to take a punch.

It wouldn't have hurt her, that wasn't the reason why, she just didn't want to let the young girl _know_ she could hit her, no one got to hit her. She had a lot of pride and she was going to keep it that way.

"Hey! Stop!"

Sydney twisted her body and leaned to the side, taking her and Cora sideways, the two of them wrapped around each other, limbs tangled as Cora still tried to land punches, kicks even, and Sydney simply blocked them, each and every one. The grunting and growling was loud, echoing in the loft and she wasn't entirely sure it was just her and Cora, no she was fairly certain that Derek was trying to use his alpha growl powers to get Cora to submit and give up.

No longer caring what was going on around her, Sydney focused her entire body on Cora, squeezing her thighs against the younger girl's waist, feeling the bones shifting under her strength. She let out a ferocious growl of her own, let her teeth shift and sunk them into Cora's forearm, feeling rather proud of herself as the dark haired Hale let out a shriek of pain.

The pressure she felt at the top of her spine was powerful, Peter pulling her off his niece and tossing her against the table by the back of her neck. Sydney let out a grunt as her hip collided with the edge, her body taking the entire brunt of the crash. She was rather surprised at his strength. Derek rushed to stand between them and glared at Sydney as he hoisted his sister to her feet.

"You don't get to bite her, _ever_." He ground out, Cora's hand rubbing against the holes in her forearm.

"She doesn't get to hit me, ever." Sydney countered, setting her glare now on Derek.

Peter moved to stand in front of her, blocking her from getting to Derek if she suddenly decided she was going to go after him now too. Letting out a feral growl, she tilted her head to the side and ran her hand through her hair.

Cora's voice was low, threatening, "Next time-"

"There won't be a next time." Derek cut her off, and moved his position back to the table, Cora following his lead, still rubbing at her wound.

Sydney smirked at her as she caught her eye, baring her teeth, her canines still sharp as if silently threatening the girl. Cora fought back a snicker though as Peter grabbed Sydney's chin and clutched her face hard in his grip, a small whimper coming out of her throat as her teeth shifted back to normal under the crushing force. He wasn't trying to protect Cora, he could hardly care less if Sydney and his niece decided they wanted to maul each other in a fight, no he was trying to get Sydney to stay somewhat calm, fearful that she'd do something to put his own plan in jeopardy.

He let her face go and she ran her fingers over her jaw. The loft was eerily silent now, Derek glancing from his sister to Sydney and back again, wondering how long either female wolf would last in the same space as the other without trying to rip each other's heads off again.

Seconds passed before the door to the loft swung open, Scott wandering through the opening. The poor teenage werewolf had no idea what he had just walked into, the entire loft dead silent, Sydney's glare set on Cora and Cora's intense gaze not leaving Sydney.

"I know where they are." Scott announced, as if the entire loft _needed_ to hear this information.

"Same building as the Argents, we know." Derek retorted, as if Scott was years too late figuring things out.

"Cora and I followed the twins." Boyd added, glancing at Scott as he wandered further into the loft.

Sydney moved her weight from one foot to the other, the faint taste of blood still lingering in her mouth from her bite. She crossed her arms over her chest and watched Scott close the distance between himself and the crew already scattered around the table.

"Then they want you to know." Scott seemed to be the only one truly invested in the situation whole-heartedly. Sydney was still glaring, Cora was practically rolling her eyes at her presence, Derek was praying that another girl fight wouldn't break out, Peter was more concerned with keeping Sydney under control and Boyd, well Boyd just seemed proud that he could contribute to the plan by having followed the twins.

"Or, more likely, they don't care." Peter stated, looking at Scott.

"What is this?" Scott asked, finally taking in the sight of the plans laying out on the tabletop.

"Isn't it obvious? The schemers are scheming, coming up with a coup de main, better known as a pre-emptive strike." Peter answered and Sydney finally let her glare fall away. She could practically hear him scolding her in her mind 'don't do anything to jeopardize the plan, she's not worth the fight'. She took once last look at Cora before letting out a small huff, setting her palms on the edge of the table, leaning forward.

"You're going after them?" Scott questioned, the look in his eyes was way too innocent for his own good.

"Tomorrow." Derek crossed his arms. "And you're going to help us."

Sydney moved her hands over her shirt and went back to playing with the hem, Cora had freed it from the waistband of her jeans during their struggle to beat each other and she felt the need to put it back. She also pulled a ponytail out of her pocket and gathered her hair high on her head, securing it with the ponytail and letting it hanging down. She didn't want to say much more while in the presence of the Hale pack and it's members, and she certainly didn't want Scott to get any ideas about her either, for he was a direct connection to Stiles, who was very much a potential danger to her relationship with Peter.

Scott seemed to be slightly more interested now, Derek telling him instead of asking him to help them. She knew that wasn't exactly the right thing to do, Scott was just as much an omega as she was and had even less of a tie to Derek's pack than she.

"They're one floor above in the penthouse, right above Allison." Derek informed Scott, everyone else in the loft already knew that much.

"So kill them first, that's the plan?" Scott seemed way too against violence to make a decent werewolf in Sydney's eyes. Sometimes people just had to get hurt in life, that was just the way it was.

"They won't even see it coming." Boyd smirked. Now she could get behind a wolf like Boyd, ready and willing to blindly attack the threat at the drop of a hat.

"Why is the default plan always murder? Just once, can someone try to come up with something that doesn't involve killing everyone?" Anger took over the boy's tone and Sydney threw a glare in his direction. All she wanted to do was get her hands on the damn alpha pack and rip them apart, limb by limb. He wasn't going to get in her way if she had anything to say about it.

"You never get tired of being so blandly moral, do you? Not that I disagree with him." Peter stated and Sydney moved her glare over to Peter, who didn't even bother making eye contact with her.

"I do. Why do we need this kid?" Cora asked, and if she hadn't attacked Sydney mere moments before, she'd totally side with the younger Hale.

"This kid helped save your life and you know we can't just sit back and wait for them to make the first move."

"You can't beat a pack of alphas." Scott pointed out and Sydney let out a long, slow growl at him. Scott simply looked at her and shook his head.

"That's why we're going after Deucalion, just him." Cora stated.

"Cut off the head of the snake and the body dies." Boyd explained, trying to get Scott to understand.

"Only this isn't a snake," She tensed slightly at the sound of Peter's voice beside her. She hadn't exactly expected him to agree, or slightly agree, with Scott, who was pretty much a disgrace to werewolves in her book. "It's a hydra and like Scott says, they're all alphas."

"Deucalion's still the leader." Derek insisted.

"Let's hope so because you know what happened when Hercules cut off one of the heads of the hydra?" Peter threw out to the loft full of wolves. Sydney bit her lip but remained silent, knowing exactly what happened when one head was cut off.

"Two more grew back in its place." Scott answered for everyone else though.

"Somebody's been doing their summer reading." Peter praised him.

"Well it's not like he's been doing his werewolf 101 homework." Sydney muttered and she swore that Cora gave her a little smile at her remark.

"Are you going to pick another fight?" Derek thundered, his alpha red eyes set on her.

"She started it." Sydney murmured, as though she was a scolded child.

"Yeah and _you_ certainly finished it." Cora remarked, moving her fingers over the healing puncture wounds in her forearm. Sydney couldn't help but smirk at that.

_**XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX**_

The planning had ended, Derek insisting that Peter get Sydney out of the loft before she decided she wasn't entirely done with Cora. Cora had the same menacing look in her eyes too, not liking the fact that they didn't get to finish their fight.

He had pushed her out of the loft and into the car. He had driven back to the apartment, glancing at Sydney, who had her forehead pressed against the window pane the entire way. Once they were safely inside the apartment, the door shut and locked behind them, Sydney let out a growl of frustration and slipped her boots off, heading immediately for the bedroom and flopping onto it.

"You threw me against a table." She hollered out into the rest of the apartment, burying her face into the pillows as Peter entered the bedroom and moved to sit on the vacant side of the bed next to her.

"You bit her."

"Yeah I did." She shot back, a sense of accomplishment evident in her tone.

"You can't just bite other werewolves."

"Right, why not?" She rolled her head to the side, peeking out from the pillow to look up at him.

"What would have happened if you bit her too deeply?"

"I don't know, I would have had a mouthful of Cora flesh in my mouth?" She countered, an innocent smirk playing on her lips.

"No." He shook his head in frustration.

"I could bite _you_ now and find out myself." She stated sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.

"If you don't take this seriously-"

"Oh my god, I'm not going to bite you."

Sydney's groan was loud and she prayed that he would drop the entire conversation. It was a heat of the moment decision and at the time she sunk her teeth into the girl's arm, she could feel her body starting to shift. It was a new sensation to her, sure she'd bitten plenty of human men during full moons, and sometimes even in self defence, but with the way Peter was treating her now, she was beginning to wonder what _was _so bad about biting another werewolf.

"It'd be different if you _did_ bite me."

"Yeah, I don't completely want to rip your face off your skull." Sydney sighed and lifted her head off the pillow slightly.

He leaned towards her and set his palm flat on her hip, giving it a gentle squeeze. She took a deep breath and tried to let the memories of the fight go, not wanting to think about it anymore.

"Werewolf bites are somewhat poisonous."

"Could she have died from it?' Sydney asked, sensing the sudden importance of the conversation.

"I'm not entirely sure, but if it were any worse, she could have been weakened severely and that's not something that Derek would need if he's going after Deucalion."

"Sorry." She dropped her head, knowing they were going to need as much help as possible to take on Deucalion.

"Now, theoretically, if you did bite me-"

"I get it, biting is bad." She cut him off, taking her lip between her teeth as she continued to imagine the terrifying outcome of having to fight without the numbers they were already struggling to make.

"Let me finish." He scolded her, leaning closer still.

"You talk too much." She muttered, but relaxed a little bit.

"If you bite a werewolf of the opposite gender deep enough-"

"Oh dear god, you're giving me a sex talk aren't you? God, you think I'm stupid don't you?" The look of complete horror was very evident on her face. She shoved her hands over her face and let out a groan.

"What do you know?"

"You're talking about mates aren't you, ugh, gross, I had this talk with my mom when I was like seven. I asked her how she knew my dad was the one and she, ew, ugh, I can't even, I don't want to, seven-year-olds don't want to hear about their parents biting each other to bond them for life. And I certainly don't want to hear it from you right now either. Boo, you suck!"

"So you know about mating bites?"

"Yes, yes I do. If you want me to bite you, I will but please don't talk about it. It just brings back disgusting mental pictures of my parents and it's just, well, wrong."

"I don't want you to bite me."

"Really?"

Slowly he lowered himself down into a laying position next to her and she curled against his side, relishing in the warmth of his body. He slipped his arm under her neck and pulled her up a little bit so that her cheek was against his shoulder.

"I've never had a mate."

"Peter you should feel honoured. I mean you have a twenty-four-year-old goddess laying next to you who's willing to do, well, a lot of things for you, don't you think maybe you should discuss the idea of being her mate with her?"

"You think I should feel honoured because you decided to sleep with me?"

"Yes I do, but you should also feel honoured because I love you." She grinned, desperately wanting to hear him say it back to her, even though she knew he wouldn't. He didn't seem like the type of man to fall in love, especially with a girl twelve years younger than he was.

"You're infuriating."

"I'm very well aware." She let out a chuckle. "So, what would you be doing if you weren't a werewolf?"

He moved his hand up, grabbed the elastic holding her hair in a ponytail, gently pulled it out and tangled his fingers in her hair, the tips of his fingers running over her scalp. She let out a contented sigh and snuggled closer to him, rubbing her cheek against him.

"Well, for one I'd be enjoying my boring human marriage to the twenty-four-year-old goddess lying next to me." He teased, matching her grin with one of her own. Well she could play that game too. "And if you weren't a werewolf?"

"You're idea sounds nice and all, but if you weren't a werewolf, and I wasn't a werewolf, I'd be banging some sexy young thing, maybe a different one every day and you'd probably be here, all alone."

"Why would you want boys when you could have a _man_."

"Quantity not quality." She stated with a laugh, and took pride in the fact that he, too, laughed along with her.

She let her eyes drift shut, a tiny little moan escaping her throat as his fingers continued to run through her hair.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't fall asleep on me right now, you're quite the sight when you're out."

"Fuck you, I'm beautiful when I sleep." She barked back at him, her eyes opening and landing on him. He caught the playful smirk on his face as she relaxed against him.

"I believe the term you used was goddess."

"You're an asshole." She stated with a roll of her eyes.

"You're the one who went and fell in love."

"I stand by that."

He let out a scoff; clearly not able to understand why a girl like Sydney could possibly love a man like himself. In his head, he could picture her with someone more closely resembling Derek, big and strong and handsome. Not someone like himself. No, Sydney was a beautiful woman, a perfect werewolf and he wouldn't ever admit it to her but he knew how lucky he was to hold her interest.

"Want to know something funny?" She questioned, tossing her leg over his and running her hand across his chest.

"Do I have much of a choice?"

"No. So anyways, my mom used to tell me that I could _always_ trust a Hale, you know, like if something ever happened to me or them, find one of your family members and they'd help me out."

"Why's that funny?"

"Well, I'm really starting to doubt she knew about _you_."

**_XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX_**

Sydney had laid against him for quite a while, fighting off the urge to shut her eyes and fall asleep. It didn't help that his fingers never stopped moving against her scalp, soothing her to the point where she didn't want to move an inch and simply spend the remainder of the afternoon curled up against him in bed.

When he finally shifted against her, she struggled to sit up, stretching her arms into the air and slipping her legs away from him. He shifted on the bed and turned away from her, throwing his legs over the edge and leaning against his knees. She watched him carefully as he pulled the top drawer of the bedside table open and dug around inside.

She cocked her head in curiosity as he stopped his arms moving around in the drawer and pulled out a stack of thick, old pages, worn around the edges. When he turned back around and looked at her, she glanced at what was in his hand and smiled at the sight of photographs, not just papers like she originally thought.

"What's that?"

"I just thought you might like to see some of these."

He handed them to her and she took them carefully, holding them gingerly in her fingers. He brought his legs back up onto the bed, crossed his legs at his ankles and relaxed against the headboard as she started flipping through the stack of pictures.

Her eyes scanned every inch of each photo, memories of her own flooding her thoughts as she recognized various locations in the photos. There were many taken inside, and just outside, of the old Hale house, a couple with Derek and his siblings, but mostly Peter and Talia when they were young.

She continued to flip through them, stopping only when a familiar feminine face caught her eye. There, staring back at her from the photograph was her very own mother, much younger than she could recall ever seeing her. She stood next to Talia Hale, the two women had always been good friends, but what peeked her interest even more was the young boy standing between the two.

"Who's he?" She asked, her index finger hovering over the picture.

"That's me."

"That's you? Wait, you knew my mother?"

"Vaguely, I was really rather young at the time."

"Right and you were more concerned with playing in the sandbox than spending time with a mature woman."

"She was Talia's friend, not mine." Peter added, confirming her statement.

"She's so pretty." Sydney murmured, clearly in awe of her mother.

He didn't say anything more to her, what could he possibly have to add. She was lost in her own world, remembering her mother from the times when Sydney was a child. His eyes studied her face, no smile present yet she wasn't necessarily sad. She had lost her parents when she was young, probably too young to remember much, so seeing a photograph of her mother must have brought back memories she had forgotten about.

She finally went back to flipping through the photographs, letting out a sigh every now and again, even a chuckle. When she full on laughed, he knew she had found the pictures from Halloween, with him and Derek dressed up like the Ghostbusters. Peter couldn't help but enjoy the smile forming on her face with each photo she looked at.

It wasn't until her face completely fell that he broke the silence that had fallen between them.

"What?" He asked, worried that she had spotted something in a picture that brought back painful memories.

"You were married?" She shot right back, taking the photo between her index finger and thumb and flipping it around to show him.

He knew the photograph well. It was of him in a sleek black suit standing next to a gorgeous blonde woman decked out in a simple, white gown. Both of their smiling faces beamed up at Sydney and she couldn't help but wonder what else Peter wasn't telling her.

"Of course I was married, I'm a grown man." He stated defensively and she nearly winced at his tone.

"Yeah but you never said-"

"She died in the fire, me having a wife didn't seem relevant."

"Maybe not to you but girls like to know that kind of thing before they hop into bed with someone." Sydney paused, more questions flooding her mind. "Was she a werewolf?"

"Yes."

"Alright so if you were married, did you have kids too?"

"No."

"Did you ever want kids?"

"I never really got the chance to think about it with her."

"Well, what about me?"

"You?" He cocked his head to the side and tried to catch on to what she was implying.

"Yes me, would you ever want kids with me?"

"I don't see how they would fit into the plan."

"Good, I never really wanted kids."

"You don't want kids?"

"No, I just never really figured I'd make it far enough in life to have kids. The last thing I'd want is to die on them, have them grow up like I did, you know?"

"Without a mother and father?"

"Yeah, a child shouldn't have to go through that and being a werewolf, I don't really see my life expectancy being that great."

He leaned forward, uncrossing his ankles and sitting up straight in front of her. She met his gaze and forced a smile, knowing exactly what he was thinking. He had already technically died once, and every time she turned around, there was something trying to kill her. Living passed the age of thirty wasn't something she was expecting.

"I long ago accepted the fact that I'd never simply die of _natural causes_." She continued, pausing her movements with the photos.

"Fire?"

"Yeah fire, and explosions and hopefully a car crash. You should know by now that I like to go all in with that kind of thing." She joked, trying to lighten the mood. It scared her to think about dying but if she kept her tone light and made it all a joke, it was definitely easier to deal with.

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

"I bet it'll be hunters though, or another werewolf. More likely than an explosion, but definitely not as theatrical." She nodded, looking at him with a small smile.

"Famous last words?"

"I figure I'll have something epic to say when it happens but I can't plan it out too much, makes it feel less real you know." She grinned cheekily at him, wondering if her time would come sooner rather than later, especially with the threat of the alpha pack looming over Beacon Hills.

With a firm nod, she turned her attention back to the remaining photographs in her hands, not wanting to delve into what she wanted in her future anymore. Kids were not something she felt she could spend a lot of time thinking about. Not with the life she had. It didn't help at all that she never took great care of herself when she was younger. No, in her head, that didn't transfer to her being able to take care of children. They would just be better off without a mother like Sydney, the wild werewolf she was. They wouldn't be in harm's way when she took the risks she did on a daily basis, or the bold moves she made quite regularly.

Reaching his hand towards her, he rested his palm on her knee, making circles with his thumbs. He always wondered about her life before she came back to Beacon Hills, it would seem that they were currently divulging secrets and he wasn't afraid to ask her anymore, not that he was before but there was a sense of familiarity between them now.

"How did you afford to live before?" He inquired.

"You don't know?" She asked with a smile and he shook his head no. "I'm a trust fund baby. I came into a lot of money at eighteen from when my parents died."

"And until you were eighteen?" He pressed.

"Grandma and grandpa took care of me for the most part. I had a job when I was in highschool but I never found that I needed much so I saved a lot of the money I made."

"Savvy."

"Plus I have a property investment." She grinned at him; the familiar mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"You own a house?"

"Technically, two." She now beamed at him, lifting her hand up and showing him two fingers as she fought back a laugh. "I've got the deed to my parents old house somewhere and the deed to my grandparents house is in a safety deposit box in a bank in Colorado."

"So when you first came knocking on my door claiming you had no where else to go, you were lying?" He asked, although the look on his face didn't suggest he was mad about the entire thing.

"Well I guess but my parents house hasn't been occupied in like fifteen years, I'm pretty sure it's as dilapidated as your old house. As for my grandparents' place, like I said, it's in Colorado. What good would I have been to Derek, or you, if I went back to Colorado?"

He nodded his understanding. If he were in her shoes, he would have done the same thing she had, knocked on the door of the only person she knew in the town full of werewolves she was familiar with. Pulling his hand away from her knee, he scooted closer to her. She extended her hand towards him and when he took hold of it, she turned and curled her body against his.

"When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?" Peter questioned as she continued to wiggle in the bed.

"Porn star." Sydney shot back, without even thinking about it, eventually settling against his side in a comfortable position.

"You're serious?"

"Fuck no. I wanted to be an engineer, or a mechanic, something that's dominated mostly by guys. I can do anything they can, probably better and I always wanted to prove that. I was never one for playing princess with the other girls, I was the one always wanting to build things."

"So what stopped that from happening?" He pondered, wondering why she wasn't doing exactly what she had stated instead of living with him.

"My grandma played a big part in ruining that. She'd always be waiting for me after school, making me help with dinner and cleaning. My grandpa would try to get her to let me tag along with him wherever he went, to the garage to dick around with his car, to the basement to try and fix something, but she'd always insist that the place for little girls was behind an apron."

"That's a shame."

"Yeah, but I make a mean apple pie." She grinned at him, knowing that if she continued to see the good in her life experiences, maybe she'd come out on top in the end.

"Sydney, you're an exceptional woman."

"I guess."

"You are. The cards you were dealt didn't make a winning hand but the way you played them, well, you made it work, didn't you?"

"I didn't have much of a choice."

"You always have a choice."

**_Review?_**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's Note:**_

_**NEW EPISODE TONIGHT!**_

_**Still with all the profoundly kind words! You guys are amazing!**_

_**Thanks to those newbies of you who have added this story to their alerts and favourites! **_

_**If any of you have any questions or concerns or anything really, feel free to leave it in a review or PM. If you just want to discuss Teen Wolf that's cool too!**_

_**Guest: It's fixed now in my profile, there was a typo originally but I have corrected the error. I checked it over and opened it myself so it should work now.**_

_****__**Special thanks to Toshiba234, poorxbrokexcollegexkid, and the Guests that took the time to review!**_

_**The Last of Us**_

_Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.**

**Chapter 9:**

Sydney pushed herself off the edge of the bed and wandered towards her bag resting on the floor a few feet away. Taking a look at the small duffle, she quickly turned back and met Peter's curious gaze, as he remained lounging in the pillows.

Her jean clad legs bent and she ducked down, sifting through the remaining clean clothes still in her bag. It had been quite a while in her eyes since she proclaimed that she was in love with him, they spent every night since then in his bed at night, naked for the most part but there were a few nights where all she wanted was to sleep next to him. There was a certain level of comfort he provided her at night. Maybe it was because it had been a very long time since she was intimate with anyone, perhaps it had more to do with the idea of being with him for the long haul, either way, Sydney couldn't help but bask in the glory of his limbs tangled with hers.

Grabbing hold of a couple t-shirts that hadn't been folded, she stood up straight and draped them over her arms, turning to face him with a intriguing look in her eyes. She tossed the one t-shirt and watched as it landed on the end of the bed before taking hold of another. The material was easy to fold and when it was nice and neat, she gingerly set it next to the discarded shirt on the bed, grabbing it as well.

"Sydney, what are you doing?"

"Thinking." She answered without a second of hesitation.

"Thinking about what?"

She shook her head at him and finished folding her other shirt, gently setting it on top of the first one. She then bent down and grabbed hold of her bag, lifting it up and dropping it on top of the covers.

"Do I get like some closet space, or maybe a spot on the floor where I can stack my clothes? I mean, it's fairly obvious that I'm not leaving this place any time soon, right?" She blurted out and he titled his head at her words.

"Where would you go?" His voice seemed too sincere to her, yet she could tell by the sad look on his face that he was genuinely concerned about her whereabouts.

"I can probably find some place to squat, maybe go back to my old house and check it out. I'm sure the critters won't mind some company."

"Don't be ridiculous. You can have the top drawer."

"Really?" She let out a nervous chuckle. "I was figuring you'd fight me on this."

"It's yours," he paused and glanced at the dresser in question, "but you have to clean it out."

"Wow, a whole drawer." She smiled teasingly at him. "To be honest I was actually expecting you to tell me I could have the floor, either that or put my stuff in the corner."

He shook his head at her but sat up straight, moving his body out of the pillows. She watched him carefully as he climbed off the bed and moved to stand just in front of her. Throwing her a grin, he quickly bent over her bag and peeked inside, taking a mental inventory of her clothes. There weren't too many, they'd easily fit in the top dresser drawer.

"Keep in mind that a trip to your old house might be of interest to me in the near future."

"You want to go on an adventure to my childhood home?"

"Perhaps."

"You want to see the bloodstains on the walls from the slaughter of my parents?" She asked softly, wondering if he had some ulterior motive to see what was once her home.

"Well no, I just thought it might be interesting to see where you grew up."

She shrugged her shoulders, desperately trying to subdue the mental images of her parents limp bodies bent and broken in the house. She could vaguely remember running down the stairs to catch some hunter, who she never really did find the identity of, leering over her mother, who was begging for him to let her go, to let her _family_ go.

She was just a little girl but had already faced dangers beyond her wildest dreams. She could recall a night, a full moon, when her and Derek had snuck out of their respective houses and took off into the woods, letting the wolf inside of them out, both of them howling loudly at the moon. When her mother and father had found her, they had tucked her between them, Derek's mother had arrived with them and done the same to him.

Her father had unexpectedly dropped to the ground in a heartbeat and her mother had scooped her up, holding her tight against her chest as she ran as fast as she could back to their house. Her father, who she later found out, had been shot with an arrow, staggered through the door hours later. It wasn't too many days that she ran down the stairs to find her father already dead and bleeding, and her mother pleading for her life. When her mother's lifeless body collapsed against the cold, hard tiles in the kitchen, Sydney had taken off, running deep into the forest, as she fought everything in her body to keep going.

She had to get away, had to find somewhere safe. It was Talia who had finally found her running in the woods. The alpha werewolf took Sydney in her arms and retreated back to the Hale house. After hours of trying to get Sydney to settle down, the small child had fallen asleep, but the nightmare had been far from over.

Her body moved to the side slightly as Peter reached out and nudged her shoulder, bringing her back from her trance. "I lost you there for a second."

"Sorry. It's just, that house is not a place I want to go back to." She murmured.

With a nod of understanding, he dropped his hands back to his sides and brushed past her as he walked out of the bedroom, leaving her alone with her memories.

Sydney shook her head, pushing the terrifying mental images out of her mind as she wandered towards the dresser and set to work.

There wasn't a lot of stuff in the drawer but there were a few things, a couple pairs of old socks, two rolled up neckties, a tiny square box missing a lid and containing a pair of silver cufflinks. She could also see a wad of bills folded and simply by flipping through the first few, she could tell it was quite a bit of cash for someone to have in a drawer.

An old calendar, scorched on the edges, had been pushed to the back of the drawer. A leather bound journal resided next to it and when Sydney flipped the cover open, she knew the curvy, smooth cursive writing did _not_ belong to Peter. She let out a sad sigh, apparently she wasn't the only one with sad memories to deal with.

Lifting the journal out of the drawer, a small, round item fell from the pages, making a metallic clink as it landed against the bottom, wooden panel of the drawer. She set the notebook on top of the dresser and reached out for the trinket, her eyes widening at the sight of a blackened ring, a faint layer of ash covering the heart shaped diamond set in the center of the band.

"Hey can you come back here?" Sydney called out, holding the ring gently between her thumb and index finger. Sure the photographs from earlier had intrigued her but the ring, so beautiful, even covered in ash, struck her as odd. Peter never seemed like the sentimental type, and certainly not a man who would require a diamond ring.

She relaxed her fingers and let the ring rest in the palm of her hand as she glanced back into the drawer, wondering what other treasures could be hiding there, maybe there was more hidden in the journal.

As he stepped into the room, Sydney turned to face him, a perplexed look on her face. He gazed curiously at her, not bothering to look at her hands, or the ring resting there.

"What?" He questioned, his arms moving to cross over his broad chest.

"What's this?" She questioned, extending her hand out towards him, the blackened ring leaving the faintest smudges on her smooth, clean skin.

"A ring."

"I can see that Peter, why's it all black?" She probed further, her heart going out to him as he dropped his gaze to the floor, an emotional sigh escaping his lips.

"From the fire."

"Is it _your_ ring? I never pegged you as a man who would be so into diamonds." She teased, trying to keep the mood light now. It was becoming rather awkward for her, watching him now as he tried to suppress the terrifying memories. It was something she most definitely wasn't used to seeing; the pained expression on his face, the sad glint in his eyes.

"No, it's not mine, it belonged to my wife." Another heavy sigh.

"I'm going to guess you pulled it out of the ashes, after the fire was put out?"

"Not me personally but yes, that's where it came from." He lifted his head and met her gaze again, a hard look etched on his face. She didn't want to push the issue, or end up comparing herself against the other woman Peter had once shared a life with. So instead of teasing him any more, or trying to diverge the situation, she flashed him a sombre smile and took a step towards him.

At the uncrossing of his arms she retracted her hand, wrapping her fingers possessively around the trinket. Sydney twisted her body, forcing her shoulder against his as his hand roamed over her back.

"Tell me about her." Sydney whispered, leaning against him, her cheek pressed against his chest.

"She was a lot like you, actually."

"Is that a good thing?"

He shrugged his shoulders at her question, not knowing how to answer her. It had been over six years since he had lost his wife, six years of trying to fight off the loneliness surrounding his heart. It wasn't like he planned to fall for Derek's childhood best friend. If he had known she'd matter as much as she did at that moment, he might have considered sending her away when she had asked to stay with him.

It wasn't that he wanted to be alone, or that he liked the solitude, it was more that he was simply scared of what was to come. Having married once before and lost the woman he loved, he knew it would rip him apart if he lost Sydney now. She _was _important to him, maybe one day he'd be able to love her but at that moment, his dead wife on his mind, he knew it would be the hardest thing he'd ever have to do.

"It's not a bad thing, no, but I definitely see her in you."

"You really loved her didn't you?" Sydney asked shyly, tuning into his heart, which was still steady despite the tough topic of the fire and the woman who had perished in it.

"I did." He nodded solemnly. "She was amazing."

"Did you call her infuriating?" Sydney asked, wondering if he spoke to his wife the way he spoke to her.

"More often than not. She was very abrasive. Always trying to prove me wrong."

"I don't think you know how much fun it _is_ to try to prove you wrong." She stated.

"She was so amazingly beautiful. When I met her she was somewhat of a wild child."

"How old were you when you met her?"

Peter's arm tensed against her back and she took a deep breath, hoping he wouldn't get too upset with her probing. It was obviously a touchy subject, like she figured. Who ever really _wanted_ to talk about people who passed away, she hated explaining to people about her parents death when she was ten years old, but this, this was a woman whom Peter had planned to live the rest of his life with, a woman he had chosen to be married to.

"Around your age actually. We were inseparable."

"Can you tell me her name?" Sydney whispered, holding on tight to the ring. "Please?"

"Eden."

"What about her favourite song?"

"Oh, Sydney, I don't remember." He confessed sadly.

"Well do you remember the song you two had for your first dance as husband and wife?"

"Sydney." He warned, not wanting to remember too much about the woman who was now gone. "I don't think-"

"You're right, I'm invading your personal life. I'm sorry."

He let out a sigh and turned her body, taking her in his hold entirely. She let him press her body against his and slowly wrapped her arms around him, holding on tight. He rested his chin gently on the top of her head and she nuzzled her nose against the side of his neck.

"It's yours." He murmured.

"What's mine?"

"The ring. It's yours if you want it."

"Peter, I can't-"

"I'd rather see someone appreciate it than have it rot away in the drawer."

She didn't know how to respond, there hadn't ever been a single minute in her life when she could recall not knowing what to say. Hugging him tighter, she let out a sigh, feeling him tighten his hold right back. The two of them just remained silent, Sydney thinking about the gorgeous diamond ring he had just given her and Peter taking a few minutes to remember the only other woman to make him feel the way that Sydney did.

**_XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX_**

It hadn't taken her long to put her clothes in the drawer; most of them were dirty anyways and had taken up a temporary residence in the laundry hamper just inside the bedroom door. It had, in fact, taken her a lot longer to get the diamond ring sparkling once again.

When she finished with the drawer, putting most of the stuff that she pulled out right back in next to her belongings, she pranced out into the kitchen, grabbed a cup, filled it with warm, soapy water and set it on the island, taking care to sit the ring next to it. Peter turned from his position on the couch and watched her with curiosity as she disappeared into the bathroom. The sounds of doors banging shut caused him to smirk a little bit and when she strode back out into the kitchen, he wasn't surprised to find a bunch of cotton swabs in her hand, as well as a bottle of rubbing alcohol that he kept in the back of his medicine cabinet.

Pushing himself off the cushions, Peter made his way to his feet and closed the distance between himself and Sydney, who was now sitting on one of the stools in her jeans and an old t-shirt. She set the cotton swabs and the rubbing alcohol on the countertop and picked the ring up, holding it between her index finger and thumb. Her eyes scanned over it, wondering what her first course of action was going to be.

Peter reached out and took hold of the ring, Sydney letting him take it out of her grasp as she grabbed the bottle of rubbing alcohol and unscrewed the cap. She slowly took a q-tip in her between her fingers and dropped her hand down, dipping one end of the swab into the bottle.

He continued to hold the ring as she leaned in towards his hand and dabbed cautiously at the ring, seconds later when she pulled it away, the end of her swab was nearly completely black and a small portion of the band of the ring was now a gleaming silver.

"Did you pick it out all on your own?" She asked, breaking the silence between the two of them.

"Actually I took Derek."

"Derek, really?" She stopped what she was doing and met his gaze, an amused grin playing on her lips. "I had no idea he even knew what romance was."

"He's not at all like you think he is." Peter countered, an amused look of his own presenting itself.

"I'm starting to get that." She teased and flipped the cotton swab in her fingers, dipping the clean end into the rubbing alcohol. She moved closer to the ring and rubbed the tip around the rest of the ring band. A few seconds later, the entire band was clean and shining brightly.

She leaned back and took the ring from his hold, wondering what the easiest way to go about cleaning the diamond was. Before she could think too much about it, she dropped the entire ring into the cup of soapy water and met Peter's eyes, which were locked on her.

"Maybe that's not the best way to do that." He stated.

"Um, you gave it to me, it's mine, therefore I'm going to do it my way, plus it's not going to hurt it."

"How do you know?"

"It's like you think I haven't had a diamond ring before. You're so cute." She grinned.

He moved his hand out and rested it against her knee, giving it a rough squeeze. Instead of getting angry with him for being so harsh, Sydney leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on his lips.

When she moved back, she slipped her hand under his and intertwined their fingers, lifting both of their hands up, away from her leg. She let her hand guide his, both coming to rest against the top of the island before she relaxed the slightest little bit. He had relinquished control of their hands, which had to mean he was starting to believe in her ability to lead, maybe not a whole lot but even just giving her control of the placement of his hand meant the world to her.

"I spent a summer in Texas because my grandma got all mad at me for missing curfew a few too many times."

"What's a few too many times?"

"Honestly it was no big deal, I think I was late like, maybe ten times in a month and it wasn't by much, ten minutes here, fifteen there."

"So she sent you away?"

"Yes." Sydney couldn't help but laugh at the memory. "I was dating this guy at the time, total badass, drove a motorcycle and everything. Typical bad guy all the girls want and the parents would never approve of. You know the type?"

He nodded his understanding. He was picturing a little old lady opening the door to a man who probably looked a lot like Derek, decked out in leather, tall, dark, handsome with that dangerous look about him.

"Good, so this guy, his name was Dale, all his buddies called him Sarge," She paused and took in the questioning look he was giving her, "I don't actually know why they called him that, it doesn't matter, he was the reason I was always late. I'm pretty sure grams was more pissed off because I was going out with this total douchebag than the whole curfew bullshit."

"But you dated him anyway?"

"He was sexy as hell, like, you don't understand okay." She shot back defensively.

"I wasn't judging." He smirked.

"You should, he was a total ass, I just didn't care to notice because I was too busy trying to stick it to my grandma. Don't get me wrong, I loved her, I really did and you're probably getting the impression that she was this crazy dictator."

"You don't speak very highly of her, no."

"She was a good substitute parent, I shouldn't be so hard on her, honestly, she was only trying to protect me. She wasn't all bad, a little nutty but she meant well."

"I'm sure she did."

"Yeah, anyways, she sent me to Texas one summer because my grandpa had a friend there, an old war buddy, and she knew he wasn't going to tolerate my bullshit."

Sydney glanced at the cup housing the ring but brushed it off for the time being, a few more minutes in the water wasn't going to hurt the ring. She looked back at Peter and caught the intense look in his eyes; he was hanging on to every word she said, patiently waiting for her to continue.

"So Sarge, much to my grandma's chagrin, drove all the way to Dallas on his motorcycle just to see me."

"He sounds charming." Peter scoffed with a roll of his eyes.

"Yeah not really." She let out a chuckle, reminiscing about the asshole name Dale. "Basically he was more into my body than my personality."

"Aren't most men?"

"Are you?" She shot back, somewhat offended by his statement.

He hung his head and let out an embarrassed sigh. She glared at him, waiting for him to meet her narrowed gaze. When he finally lifted his head, she dropped her glare, sensing the regret of his words just from the look on his face.

"I don't know what it is about you but you're very much an addition that I don't want to kick."

"So you like my personality too?"

"Maybe like is a strong word." He teased, and she relaxed, leaning her side against the edge of the island. "But I enjoy your presence, not just your body."

"That's good." She beamed and felt him shift their hands. "I think maybe my grandma would've liked you, except for the whole age thing."

"I would certainly have you back for curfew." He purred.

"Shut up." She barked playfully at him. "Dale was fun, for a fling."

"Well then, please continue your tale about Dale."

Sydney rolled her eyes at him but focused back in on her story. She had a point to make, and she was going to make it.

"Fine, so Dale drove to Texas to 'be with me', I think after like three weeks and a two day long drug and alcohol induced stupor, he comes to the place where I'm staying. This ex-military man opens the door to find Dale standing there, swaying back and forth. Jesus, this guy I was staying with had to be over six feet tall and had the biggest biceps you've ever seen for an old guy, not to mention his house was decorated with old army antiques; a rusted old grenade mounted on the wall next to a bloodstained military uniform, it was crazy living there."

"He sounds like quite the character."

"He was, and he scared the shit out of Dale, but that didn't stop the kid from asking him if he could see me."

Sydney paused, pulled her hand away from his and slowly poked her finger into the cup filled with water. She hooked the ring on the end of her finger and gradually pulled it out of the water, grabbing a cotton swab with her other hand and rubbing it around the setting and the stone. When the cotton swab came away a light grey, she grabbed another one and repeated the process, Peter's eyes never leaving the piece of jewellery as she delicately rubbed away the ash.

"What did Dale want?" Peter asked and Sydney's head jerked to the side to face him.

"To propose." She scoffed and tossed her head back with a laugh.

"And what did you say?"

"Well, I didn't say anything until the ring was on my finger, then I told him to piss off somewhere else before Mr. Military shot him. Come on, I deserve way better than some guy who proposes to me because he's drunk and stupid." She desperately tried to fight off the smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

Sydney tore her eyes away from him and rubbed the ring a few more times with a clean swab. Seconds later, the ring nearly looking perfect, she slipped it on the middle finger of her left hand and held it out in front of her.

"But you kept the ring then?"

"Hell yeah I did, pawned it when I got back to Colorado when summer was over." She grinned and met his cautious gaze. He wasn't grinning, he wasn't even necessarily amused by her proclamation. He was merely concerned that she'd do the same to the ring he had just given her.

"Is that the plan for that ring?" he asked bitterly, pointing at the glistening diamond on her finger. She cocked her head at his question and gasped quietly, not realizing how her story could have been taken. She knew the ring meant a lot to Peter, but she had just admitted to pawning someone else's ring for spite.

"No, not at all. Dale was just some asshole who bought a ring on a whim. This was your wife's ring, god, no I would never _dream_ of letting it out of my sight, let alone pawning it. I know how much it means to you." She stated solemnly and curled her fingers into her palm, taking in the sight of the diamond.

"Well, good then."

"You're going to have to pry this off of my cold dead hand." She smiled at him, reassuring him that the ring, as well as her presence in his life, wasn't going anywhere.

**_Oh Sydney and her torrid past! How about some more wonderful reviews? Please?_**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Author's Note:**_

_**I feel stupid now, my tumblr URL apparently didn't show in the last chapters Author's Note. So Guest, I have fixed it in my profile, there was a typo, I'm so sorry for the confusion!**_

_**Thanks to those of you who have recently added this story to their alerts and favourites, don't be afraid to leave me a review, good or bad, I appreciate all different kinds of feedback.**_

_**If any of you have any questions or concerns or anything really, feel free to leave it in a review or PM me.**_

_****__**Special thanks to poorxbrokexcollegexkid, and the Guest that took the time to review! Sydney and Cora will definitely spend some more time together later on in the story. Please enjoy the next installment...**_

_**The Last of Us**_

_Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.**

**Chapter 10:**

He wasn't entirely sure what to expect when she arrived back from her 'epic battle' as she called it, but he certainly wasn't prepared to watch her limp through the living room, almost dragging her right leg behind her. There was an odd look on her face and he followed her arm down to catch a glimpse of her hand resting above her right hip, which was very clearly disfigured.

Peter tilted his head and tried to catch her gaze but she didn't notice, she was too focused on the bedroom. Her hair was an absolute mess; tangled and dirty like nothing he had ever seen before. Her entire body looked worn, the unhealed scrapes and bruises littering her face, the deeply coloured abrasions on the bare skin of her arms, if he wasn't mistaken, there were even a set of claw marks which had pierced the skin of her collarbone.

"How was the pre-emptive strike?" He asked, not knowing whether to tease her for clearly losing or to make sure she was alright, which would mean he'd have to admit he cared for her out loud.

"Shut it." She barked back and winced, the strain of using her voice deemed too painful for her battered body.

"Any casualties I should know about?"

"Other than my dignity..." She muttered, trying her best to ignore him but still maintaining a deathly slow pace, limping her way towards the bedroom.

"Might I just say-"

"No, no words from you. I'm not in the mood for your asshole remarks okay, I'm pretty sure my hipbone is broken, in more than one place no less, and I feel like I could just lay down and sleep for a year, so no, you can keep your mouth shut this one time."

He raised his brow at her outburst and dropped any desire to play the part of instigator. She was clearly in pain, broken bones and battered body parts no doubt. He simply watched as she slowly, painfully, made her way into the bedroom. He let out a frustrated growl at the small thud from her collapsing onto the mattress.

Giving in to his gut instinct, Peter wandered into the kitchen, grabbing hold of the freezer door before pulling it open. His eyes searched the contents for the icepack and when he laid his gaze on the frozen pack, he extended his hand out and grabbed it. Slamming the freezer shut behind him, he left the kitchen and made his way towards the bedroom, stopping in the doorframe to just look at the girl lying there motionless.

Her hair had been somewhat managed now, most likely brushed and no longer a tangled mess. She was lying on her left side, her right hip sticking up into the air. In the time he had been in the kitchen, she had managed to free her bottom half of her pants and was on the bed in her t-shirt and underwear, a view Peter would normally take more time appreciating if it weren't for the incredibly nasty bruise on her right hip where the bone was trying to protrude through her skin.

Stepping in and gently setting the icepack on her swollen hip, he remained silent, not wanting her to use any strength she had left to berate him. Her whole body tensed at the contact of the freezing cold mass but just as quickly as she had tensed, he watched her body relax into the covers, letting out a small sigh.

Turning her head, she met his curious gaze and shifted slightly, making it the tiniest bit easier for her to continue looking at him. He cautiously sat down on the edge of the bed next to her thighs and reached his hand out, resting his palm just below her hip.

"You follow Derek as though he's still your alpha." Peter stated, an almost sad tone to his voice.

"He is, well, was, no he _is_ my best friend." She said back, her voice ever so soft.

"Was?"

"Ennis and him were fighting, next thing I know Scott's screaming and Derek's falling down into a giant hole."

"You don't believe he's dead, do you?"

"I don't know. Honestly, part of me hopes he's strong enough to handle a massive fall like the one he took tonight but then the other part of me is just wondering what's going to happen to his pack if he really is dead."

"They'd need an alpha, or at the very least, someone to lead them."

"I know."

"Do you believe you could handle that responsibility?"

"I don't know if I want to. They wouldn't be _my_ pack, they'd just be random betas who call me their leader because they don't have one anymore." She winced at her own words, not liking the direction of the conversation.

Sure she knew she could be a leader, she could take care of a pack of teenagers. She always did like Cora when she was younger, not so much now but that could change. Isaac was nothing short of a sweetheart. Boyd seemed to be able to handle himself but they were Derek's wolves, Derek's pack and she knew they'd never be able to look at her the same way they had looked at Derek.

"He made his choice, sacrificing himself for them."

"You and I both know how competent he is though right? I just wanted a chance to prove to him that I can be a beta worth having in his pack, not that weak little girl he sees me as."

"And how did that go?"

"Yeah not good, besides the fact that Derek may or may not be dead, we got absolutely annihilated."

"I can imagine."

"Before he went over the ledge, Ennis had me pinned to the ground. He stomped on my hip, god I heard it cracking, could feel it shattering, yet there was no hesitation from Derek. He tried to get to me."

"It's not your fault."

"People keep saying that, they do but you know, when it all boils down to it, I'm the only one to blame. I mean for fucks sake, my parents were slaughtered by hunters, slaughtered Peter, and it was all because I didn't want to leave until I said goodbye to Derek. That's my fault. Derek going after Ennis, that wouldn't have happened if I was a better wolf, if I could have protected myself."

"He was the one who led you to battle."

"So?"

"If you weren't there, maybe he would have lost even more."

Sydney sighed, knowing that Peter had a point. She was an extra body on Derek's team, a very able body. She had landed her fair share of decent hits, even prolonging the attack on Cora by going toe to toe with Ennis. Maybe if she didn't show up at all, they all would have been slaughtered and not just Derek, who she still refused to believe was dead.

"I'm tired of feeling useless." She whispered, wincing as she moved her right leg a little bit, trying to get more comfortable on the bed.

"Sydney, I think there's something you need to know."

"Oh fuck me." She muttered, knowing whatever he had to say surely wasn't going to be good, not with the serious tone he was using.

He motioned for her to sit up a little bit and she held back a yelp as she scooted her butt up the bed, forcing her shoulders and back to lift away from the mattress. His hand moved from below her hip and grabbed her forearm, letting her pull her body up with his help.

She leaned slightly to the left, moving her arm in the same direction, trying to get him to shift on the bed too. He lifted himself away from the covers and Sydney's free hand pushed against his thigh, forcing his body against her right side, his thigh acting as a resting place for the back of her hip. With the slightest bit of pressure relieved in her new position, she twisted her upper body back to face him.

"I've been debating whether or not you should know-"

"If you're going to kick me out, please, for the love of god, wait until tomorrow?"

"What, no, that has nothing to do with, well, this."

Sydney met his gaze, watching as he shut his eyes, holding them that way for a few seconds before opening them once again. She leaned towards him, confused yet amazed at the colour of his irises. When her hand reached forward, her fingertips grazing his cheek, he flinched at the touch, blinking away the fiery red that had been in his eyes just seconds ago.

"You're an alpha?" She breathed out, pulling her hand back as though it had been burnt by the contact.

"Yes."

"How?"

"I've always been an alpha, it just so happens that when my dear nephew _killed_ me, my alpha status went into a sort of state of hibernation if you will."

"So this entire time, while you tried to convince me that we were going to get you to kill one of Deucalion's pack, you were already an alpha?"

"For all intents and purposes-"

"You've been hiding the fact that you're already an alpha, from me, the only ally you have at this point?" Her voice was starting to get stronger, the anger growing the more she let his confession sink in.

The anger flooded her body and she fought off the urge to punch him right there. She could feel her hands slowly starting to shake out of pure fury, the desire to hurt him growing too.

If he were already an alpha, why wouldn't he have just told her? The plan had been to get his alpha status back; she'd simply be his beta until another opportunity for her to become an alpha arose.

"When you put it that way-"

"Stop talking, just stop talking! God I told you that I loved you and you couldn't even tell me that you're a fucking alpha? What kind of a person are you, no, don't answer that, I should have known better. No wonder no one trusts you, god, you suck! A lot!"

"To be fair, I don't trust anyone either."

"You don't trust anyone, for fucks sake you asshole, you've been fucking me every night for weeks and you don't trust me? I sleep next to you, I trust you enough not to kill me while I'm in my most vulnerable state and you don't feel the same?"

"Sydney, that's not what I meant."

"I told you that I loved you, dear god, am I just part of your stupid plan? Do you feel _anything_ for me?"

"I enjoy your company."

"Just get out." She ground out.

"You're kicking me out of my own bedroom?"

"Damn right, now get the fuck out!"

He wasn't giving in to her, not the way she expected anyways. He simply didn't want her to hurt herself anymore. Slowly making his way to his feet, his body moving away from hers, he straightened up and turned his back to her. She glared at him, letting out a whimper now as she moved back down into a laying position, adjusting the placement of the icepack.

When the bedroom door shut, leaving her all alone in the dimly lit bedroom, she buried her face into the pillow and fought back the tears welling up in her eyes. She wasn't going to cry, not for Derek, not for Peter, not for the man who held her heart in his hands and refused to take care of it. No, she was going to be strong, she'd prove to them all that she could do this, she could make it on her own.

**_XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX_**

It wasn't hard for her to track the scent of Ennis to the vet's office; it wasn't hard for her to sneak into said vet's office. The only hard part in her plan was getting Deucalion alone, away from the other alphas who could potentially end her life without breaking a sweat.

She ducked into the shadows, watching the vet look over the sliced up body of Ennis. She knew that Deaton was aware of her presence; there was a sort of understanding between them. She wasn't going to hurt him, if he didn't hurt her, not that he had much leverage, she was a werewolf and as far as she knew, he was a human. So she hid in the shadows, slinking around the office to avoid confrontation with the alphas, the ones who weren't gravely injured.

Her gaze caught sight of the nasty wounds on the fallen man's body, Deucalion talking to the vet about what was going on. She knew he would most likely live, if he hadn't died already, there wasn't much of a chance of him dying now, his wounds would only get better.

As soon as Kali and one of the twins waltzed out of the room containing the motionless body of Ennis, Sydney made her presence known, clearing her throat and catching Deucalion slightly off guard.

"Charmed to have you here. Is your presence meant to frighten me dear beta?" He grumbled, his body turning to face where the noise had come from.

"I'm here to make you an offer." She replied, her voice solid and confident, quite the opposite of how she was really feeling. Her insides were twisted with nerves, her heart pounding so hard she swore she could feel it against her ribcage, yet she stood her ground, hoping he'd at least hear her out.

"What could you possibly offer me that I couldn't get on my own?"

"Scott McCall."

"Why would you think I'd be interested in the McCall boy?"

"Come on, town full of werewolves, all of whom are interested in the McCall boy and you're going to stand there and tell me that you're the one person who's not?" With every word erupting from her mouth, her confidence grew the slightest bit.

"You're a curious little beta aren't you?"

"Well, you and I both know you're going to finish dear Ennis here off no matter what, why not let me do it instead and I'll give you any information on dear little Scott that you could possibly want, not to mention the inside information I have on the Hale pack."

Deucalion's fingers gripped his white cane loosely, the tip hanging above the floor. She knew it doubled as a weapon and she knew what he was capable of. Sure he was blind, but he wasn't stupid.

"If you stay out of my way-"

"I will lay out the red carpet and stand off to the side bowing if you want."

"Dear girl, you're offer seems almost too good to refuse."

"Well I wouldn't want your royal hands to get dirty either." She smirked, knowing that he couldn't necessarily see it but the devious tone in her voice wouldn't go unnoticed by the blind man in front of her.

"Perhaps you'd make a decent ally after all." He smirked back at her, his tone equally as devious.

"So we have a deal then?"

"Well I certainly don't want to get my hands dirty." He echoed her words from seconds before.

Sydney let out a maniacal laugh at his words and stepped closer to the limp body on the vet's table in front of her. She glanced down at the face of the man she was about to kill, his body motionless atop a giant silver table. Slowly but surely, she reached her hands out and pressed her fingertips against either side of the man's head. Her eyes darted over to Deucalion once more, making sure he wasn't going to try anything while she wasn't looking. Satisfied at his assertive, unmoving stance, Sydney forced her claws out and started digging them into the sides of Ennis' head.

Seconds later, at the sound of his skull cracking, she gasped at the feeling taking over her body. Catching the smirk on Deucalion's face, she knew he wasn't going to kill her, not in that moment, probably not at all, as long as she stayed out of his way.

Striding out of the vet's back door, she felt a certain air of confidence, her walk more confident, her body feeling stronger. Now all she had to do was figure out what to do about Peter and his confession from the night before.

**_XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX_**

She had been alone in the apartment for a good hour before the sound of the front door broke her out of her daydreaming. She was laying on the bed, debating how to approach Peter about his secret alpha status and so far she couldn't really come up with a solution. Her entire body felt light, as if she were floating. She was simply in too good of a mood now to fight anymore.

She rolled off the bed and lifted her shirt up, tying a knot so that it was bunched around her breasts, showing off most of her torso before waltzing out into the kitchen, glancing at Peter as he sat at the island, once again with his nose in some old mythology book. She pursed her lips in debate but moved to stand a few feet away from him anyways. There was no sense putting it off any more, she could feel it and she hoped that he could _see_ it.

He slowly lifted his eyes away from the yellowing pages of the book and cocked his head. Her t-shirt was lifted up to just under her breasts and tied at the side under her arm. Her short shorts sat lower on her hips than normal, she was definitely up to something. She didn't have to entice him any more, so why was she now standing in his kitchen looking at him with her midsection bare and that familiar mischievous look in her eyes?

"Do I look different?" She asked, running her hands down her sides, even turning her upper body so that he could take in the sight of her, letting him decide if she did in fact look any different.

She had felt the new power flow through her veins once the last ounce of life had weaseled it's way out of the other man's body. Her muscles grew tighter, she felt the extra energy surge through her body, her skin growing thicker, her eyes getting sharper, her sense of smell was more overpowering, even her mouth changed. She had snatched a snack out of the kitchen once she got home and was enveloped in the intensity of the familiar flavours. It was astounding really, but now she was wondering if other people would be able to see her, really see her as an alpha.

"Why would you look different?" He asked, a confused tone to his normally smooth voice.

She turned all the way around, her back to him as she looked over her shoulder at him. His perplexed expression made her smirk, he had no idea what she had been up to during the day, not a single clue.

"Like bigger or stronger."

"Bigger?" His eyes narrowed at her, wondering what exactly she was trying to get at. Why would she be asking if she looked bigger, unless, the odd behaviour, her body looking bigger- "Sydney, what are you saying?"

"I don't know, I just figured it'd feel different, that it would _be_ different. I've never experienced-"

"Experienced what exactly?" He was growing impatient. Was this the moment she announced that he was going to be a father? Silently praying the young woman was anything but pregnant, he set his book down, leaving it open on the counter top in front of him as he rose to his feet.

"Alpha status." She answered, stepping back around in a circle to face him, his features instantly relaxing at her admission before he let the weight of her words sink in, almost registering the same amount of shock value.

"Alpha status?"

"Yeah, what did you think I was talking about?"

He looked at her flawless skin, his eyes grazing over her torso before moving back up to meet her eyes, which were now a bold, fiery red. She didn't in fact look any 'bigger' but she had a certain air about her. She stood taller, walked with more confidence and looked at him with such ferocity in her eyes that he knew she was a natural born leader. Sydney smirked at him but his voice faltered as he went to answer.

"Alpha status."

"Yeah right. You're really stupid when it comes to women, especially if you thought that I was pregnant." She continued to smirk at him, knowing all too well what the look in his eyes had meant. He was terrified; any sane man would be if they were in _his_ hypothetical situation.

"Well I-"

"Well you what? You come off as this cunning, manipulative person, don't get me wrong, I love that about you, but _why_, okay think about this really hard for a second, why would I go and get myself pregnant when I've already told you that I didn't want kids? Also, let's just bring up the fact that we're essentially trying to take over the world, babies would get in the way of that."

"Sydney you're absolutely infuriating."

"I know and you're still an idiot, now, ask me about my alpha status." She beamed at him, the scowl on his face disappearing, slowly being replaced by a curious gaze.

Suddenly her disappearance didn't seem so random and the immense battle the night before made sense. She had received the phone call, ignored Peter's protests of her going to fight alongside Derek and headed out, returning hours later, early in the night, scraped and bruised and bloody, her head hung low. She hardly said a single word to him when she first walked into the apartment; instead she dragged herself into the bedroom and tried to sleep off the pain of her broken hip.

"Did you manage to kill yourself an alpha last night after all?" He hadn't exactly gotten too deep into the details of the battle and she hadn't given up much more than the possibility that Derek was dead, at the very least very badly wounded.

"Not exactly."

His mind flashed to the day he had spent with his niece, searching for answers about whether or not Derek made it through the night. There was no trace of either body at the scene of the battle. Was Sydney somehow responsible for the disappearance of his body? Or Ennis'? Had either of them been alive at the end of the night? Had she finished him off? Derek, the man who had once been her best friend, could she have taken his life and ultimately his alpha powers?

"Did you hunt down my family? Did you kill my nephew?" He stood up so fast that the stool fell to the ground. His hands balled into fists, ready to attack her. After admitting he had always been the alpha, he saw how hurt she was, how angry his secret had made her. Would she exact revenge on him by taking out her anger on his nephew? Derek was part of the plan still but more importantly; he was part of Peter's family.

"Wait, hold up." She raised her hands into the air in a defensive position, cautious now of any move she made, he was clearly furious. She knew better than that though. "I didn't kill Derek, I don't actually know what happened to him after he fell, but I swear I didn't do anything to him."

She watched as his shoulders relaxed at her admittance, his fists uncurling. Sydney subdued the colour of her eyes and now looked back at him with her usual brown orbs.

"Then how are you an alpha?"

"I made a deal with the demon wolf himself." She answered, straightening up, confidence exuding from her stance.

"Deucalion? Really?"

"It was easy. I mean Derek practically took out one of Deucalion's pack members anyway, left him to die so I tracked them after they came to retrieve the poor sap's body. I snuck into the vet's office when no one was looking and offered the man a trade."

"So all the while I was out looking for Derek, you were making deals with the devil?"

"When the devil gives you what you want, it's easy to overlook the horns." She nodded confidently.

"And he did, give it to you I mean?"

"Look at me Peter, of course he did." She waved a hand in front of her, making him look at her lithe little body.

"I never grow tired of your modesty." He drawled sarcastically. "What did you offer him?"

"I offered him Scott."

"And he gave you-"

"Ennis, on a big silver tray."

He was rather impressed at her actions, heading out to offer a potential ally a deal, solidifying her position as an alpha. There was no doubt in his mind that she was a decent addition to his life, to his plan, and the more time he spent with her, the more he was learning that she was anything but weak. Derek had been wrong and it had cost him the most valuable pack member Peter had ever laid eyes on.

His eyes remained glued to her as he relaxed, sitting back on the stool after picking it up and shifting his hands as he gripped the cover of the book. Sydney kept her eyes locked on him, watching as he examined her carefully. She sucked in a breath as his eyes lingered on her toned abdomen and she found herself fighting off the urge to pull down her shirt. Trying to convince herself that she loved the attention, she let out a sigh and planted her hands on her hips.

"You're kind of weirding me out now, I mean you're constantly still staring at me, like all the time." Sydney stated, facing him directly as she remained where she stood, on the other side of the island from him.

"You are perfection." He purred, gingerly shutting the book in front of him, completely giving up reading any more of it.

"That's a joke right." She laughed at him, a giant smile playing on her lips now. "I'm completely riddled with flaws. My nose moves too much when I talk, my chin sticks out farther than my face by a lot, my eyes are slightly uneven, pretty sure one of my boobs is bigger than the other, my calves are kind of skinny and my second toe is slightly longer than my big toe."

"You were merely supposed to agree." He dropped his gaze away from her, frustrated at the amount of words that had come out of her mouth. All he had done was pay her a compliment, letting her know exactly what he thought of her.

"Yeah well, that ain't happening, in fact, I'm going to keep going. My hips are too wide, I swear like a fucking sailor, sometimes I zone out, I make really stupid faces when I'm concentrating really hard, I barely graduated high school, my hair is never the way I want it to look, oh my middle finger is slightly crocked, I'm pretty sure I have a defective orbital bone, my wrists crack when I roll them-"

"You've made your point." He growled, shaking his head at her sass.

"Really, because I can probably go all night long." She chuckled, catching his attention once more before turning around, her back to him now. She leaned against the edge of the counter, lifting herself up so she stood on the balls of her feet, the muscles in her legs straining slightly.

"Was that really an appropriate phrase?"

"Phrase, you can put it down as a fact Peter. I can totally go all night long."

"I don't doubt it."

"And I'm not talking about listing all my flaws anymore either."

"I'm very aware of that."

"Good, so we're on the same page then?" She turned her head and looked over her shoulder at him.

"I think so."

"Cool, so we're going to go to bed and you're going to prove to me that one of my boobs in, in fact, bigger than the other, right?"

"Among other things."

She couldn't help the mischievous expression from taking over on her face. Her eyebrows narrowed and the biggest, most devious grin she could muster took over her mouth.

"So, if you're an alpha, and I'm an alpha now, does that mean that the sex is better too, seeing as everything else is?"

"Certain sensations are heightened, yes."

With a low hum in her throat, Sydney reached her hands to the hem of her shirt and loosened the knot, letting out a small shiver as the material brushed against her skin. She spun on her heel, locked her eyes on his and pulled the shirt over her head, taking her bottom lip in between her teeth.

Her long, toned legs moved swiftly as she sashayed out of the kitchen, his eyes following her the entire way. Peter hesitated on the stool, holding back, taking in the view of her and her 'flaw-riddled' body. He didn't see anything wrong with her, not a single thing at all. She stopped walking just outside the bedroom door, twisting around to see where he was. Sydney had completely expected him to be right behind her, but his lack of footsteps was a dead giveaway that he wasn't following her.

"I don't really know how _you_ think sex works but I generally like to have a partner when I do it." She teased.

That was all it took. Without any more sense of hesitation, Peter lifted himself off the stool and wandered towards her, slipping his arm around her waist as he closed the gap between them. She reciprocated the action, her arms snaking around his neck, tugging him closer, and pressing her body against his.

She felt her stomach twist in anticipation, hoping that he was right about her sensations being heightened. When he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, she felt her whole body shiver, his fingertips running up her spine now too. Shutting her brain off for the night, Sydney moved her body into the bedroom, taking him with her. When the back of her legs met the end of the bed, she collapsed backwards, Peter landing on top of her, his lips never leaving hers. It was time to prove she could, like she said, go all night long.

_**So, alphas...what do you think about that?**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Thanks to those of you who have recently added this story to their alerts and favourites, don't be afraid to leave me a review, good or bad, I appreciate all different kinds of feedback (what you like, what you hate, etc). I**__**f any of you have any questions, concerns or anything really, feel free to leave it in a review or you can always PM me.**_

_****__**Special thanks to TeamBedward, Toshiba234, WickedlyMinx, poorxbrokexcollegexkid, rociohernandez971 and the Guest that took the time to review! **_

_****__**As boring as it sounds, if Sydney ended up pregnant, I believe that her and Peter would have a mature conversation about what to do. She's not some young, naïve girl who believes it would all be rainbows and butterflies, she'd obviously be a lot freaked out (seeing as she confessed she didn't want to put children through the werewolf lifestyle) but they'd work it out somehow. Not very dramatic, I know...**_

_Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.**

**Chapter 11:**

"I think you need to be more careful with the alpha pack." Peter announced as he climbed into bed next to Sydney.

She was curled up under the covers in one of his t-shirts and a pair of her underwear. As soon as he was next to her though, she let out a sigh and pressed her body against his, stealing the warmth from his body. He slipped his arms around her and held her tight, giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze.

"Careful how?" She inquired, her voice barely more than a murmur as she coiled her legs up and around his, making herself into a ball at his side. She let out a yawn and shut her eyes, burying her head in the pillow next to his as he finally lay down and relaxed beside her.

"You killed Ennis and if you believe that Deucalion will take that secret to the grave, you're more naïve than I first believed."

"I'm not naïve, I just don't see Kali as a huge threat, and those twins, well, I'm sure I could outrun them."

"How is Kali not a very real threat in your eyes?"

"She's a _real_ threat but not a very big one, have you watched her fight?"

Peter's hold on her loosened as he turned to face her. She let out a small whimper at his movements but quickly curled back up against him, as if he hadn't moved in the first place. Her eyes still shut, she smiled towards him and jammed her hands under the pillow, trying to stay warm.

"She's very skilled."

"Yeah but she's a kicker, they're the easiest to play defence against."

He leaned over her and dropped down to the pillows, his shoulder resting against hers as he shielded her body. Sydney slid her hands towards him, still under the pillow but peeked them out to take hold of the sides of his neck, gently pressing her palms against his skin.

"I still think you should be more careful."

"Ennis was the bigger threat." Sydney argued and finally opened her eyes, meeting his concerned gaze.

"_Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned_."

"I think she's smart enough to not go batshit crazy in a fight, especially if she _knows_ that getting angry just makes a person sloppy."

"You've clearly thought about this."

"Well yeah." She replied cheekily, totally willing to share her opinions now. It didn't take much for her to start analysing the alpha pack. As soon as they showed up in Beacon Hills, she had been on the lookout for any viable information.

She was lucky enough, or unfortunate enough, to be there when she had attacked Derek in his own loft, her eyes baring witness to her delightful pole handling techniques. It was rather educational. Kali seemed to throw herself into the assault, yet Sydney knew she would not be on the receiving end of any hits. Derek hadn't been as meticulous as her growing up as she watched whoever she could lay her eyes on hit and defend. It certainly helped that when she had spent her summer in Texas, she got to train a little bit with her grandpa's military friend.

In her eyes though, the alpha pack member she had been most afraid of meeting one on one in a fight was Ennis. He was big, strong, and it wouldn't matter if he had a tactical manoeuvre, the fact that he was twice as big as Sydney was a definite advantage.

As for the rest of the pack, Deucalion was blind yes, but Sydney was quick, sporadic, there was a reason the man had surrounded himself with the best of the best, in a one on one fight, she could at least handle herself enough to get out of his line of fire.

Kali, like she had just told Peter, was a kicker, the girl loved to use her legs, her clawed toenails were her weapons of choice. Sydney could defend against her foot strikes, anyone who grew up with an older sibling, or in her case Derek, knew enough to grab the leg in mid air. Then it was as easy as a punch in the gut, allowing enough time for her to either retaliate or flee.

The twins were a different story. Separately, they could provide her with a decent match up, but as soon as the opportunity came up, the two of them did their creepy morphing thing and as scary as the giant combined werewolf was, she knew it moved a lot slower than she could run. As long as she didn't encounter more than one member of the alpha pack, or two in the twins' case, she could survive.

"I told you I took on an alpha when I was in Colorado, I had to run away but I'm not stupid. We've been over this."

"I don't need you getting yourself hurt."

"Yeah well I'll try my best but trouble seems to find me."

"You seek it out." He shot back with a badgering smirk.

"That may be true, but I can handle myself, I've been doing it for years before you came along."

"You truly were an Omega then?"

"I was in Talia's circle when I left, I was ten though. Technically I was still part of her pack but legally I was under the guardianship of my grandparents."

"They knew about you?"

"Yeah, didn't stop grams from pretending she didn't know though. Honestly though, she wasn't as bad as I make her sound. It was actually kind of nice, I lived like a normal child for the most part, only dealing with the werewolf business on the full moons, but even those I spent locked in the basement with my grandpa sitting with me. I was pretty good at control, at least enough that I didn't rip him limb from limb."

"So it was as you got older that you're full moon control turned from the desire to maim and kill to the yearning for sexual sedation?"

"Teenage hormones you dolt. Then when I accidentally killed that guy, it just completely turned me off of the maiming and killing."

"What happened when you found out about the fire? No more alpha Talia."

She shook her head no and couldn't help but feel saddened by the memory. It had been a little while after the blaze that she had finally been informed of the fire as well as the multitude of deaths of what was once her pack. When Talia had perished, so had her beliefs that the Hale pack was nothing short of invincible. It had hit her harder than anyone could ever have imagined.

"I went into a sort of hiding for a while, backtracked my path to Beacon Hills and made sure that I could avoid all other packs, and known hunters in the area. It was hard, let me tell you."

"You could have taken up residency in a long term care home. There's a certain luxury about being a coma patient." He teased and she gave him an eye roll. "What works for others doesn't always necessarily work for you."

"I was way too interested in boys and fun to pretend to be comatose." She smirked back at him now.

"So you didn't follow Laura then?"

"Kind of but I stayed in Colorado. I guess I just figured I'd be all right on my own. It's not like I had much to lose, especially after my grandparents passed away. It's easy to act like you've got nothing to lose when you're alone."

"So why _did_ you come back here, to Beacon Hills when you did?"

Sydney let out a sigh and curled up closer to him, relaxing in his grasp. She waited for him to do the same and when the tight muscles in his body eased into the covers, she heard his heartbeat drop down too.

"Derek's my best friend, he will always be there for me when I need him. I know that. Even if he's mad at me, or whatever, he would never leave me all alone when I need someone. Before I came back here though, one of my closest friends was diagnosed with cancer, doctor gave him a few months to live and I thought 'hey what can cure cancer'."

"The bite."

"Exactly. I heard what happened with Derek slashing your throat, I knew he was an alpha and I figured I'd give it a shot, I'd get to keep my friend and Derek would have a new pack member."

"So did you save your friend?"

"He died before I found Derek."

"And you decided to stick around then, for Derek?"

"I wasn't going to go back to Colorado, everyone I cared about from there was gone and I knew, as soon as I stepped in Beacon Hills that Derek could use some help."

She could feel the gloomy atmosphere of the small California town as soon as she arrived. It didn't take much to track Derek down, and then find out he was dealing with a Kamina, something Sydney wasn't very familiar with at all. She knew _enough_ about Kaminas to know that she was going to stay out of its way. It was when Erica and Boyd declared they were leaving his pack that she grew even more wary of what was going on in the town.

Erica had confided in her before she went to Derek, telling Sydney all about the rogue howling she heard in the woods. When Sydney wandered out to the preserve in the middle of the day shortly after Erica had left with Boyd, she could smell other werewolves, but they weren't just the usual scents filling the air, no, she knew before she spotted the pattern painted on the door of the Hale house that the wolf pack in Beacon Hills was here on a mission, one that would not bode well for anyone involved.

She had stuck around, trying to provide as much help as she could to Derek and what was left of his pack. It had worked well for a few days, the novelty of being part of her best friend's pack wore off rather quickly though, especially when he had called her weak.

Derek, Sydney and Isaac had tracked the scent of the alphas together, ending up in near the downtown of Beacon Hills. When Derek suggested they split up, Sydney was the first one to take off, grabbing Isaac's wrist firmly and dragging him behind her. It was almost an unspoken rule; Isaac wasn't to be left alone, not while he was still such a young pup.

So when Sydney returned to the loft, battered and broken, Derek had turned on her, very clearly irate over her losing his only other remaining beta, even if it was only temporarily. He had called her weak for letting the alpha pack get the better of her, for letting Isaac go off on his own and get cornered. She was weak for leaving him behind, even though she had no choice. If she had stuck with the young wolf, she would probably have ended up in the vault with Boyd and Erica.

"You didn't seek me out though, when I took Laura's alpha status." He murmured matter-of-factly.

"First of all, you ripped her in half." Sydney countered.

"Like I told Derek, I didn't know what I was doing."

"You knew what you were doing and maybe if I had stuck around, gotten to know Laura a little better than I did, I'd be more upset with you. I think at that point I was just kind of numb to the world around me."

"Was it hard?"

"Dealing with everyone around me dying, yeah, but I just blocked out all the emotions after a while, I know in your fucked up head that you had some sick and twisted reason. I can't imagine that being a vegetable for six years wouldn't melt your brain a little."

"It grates on you." He paused and looked right into her eyes. "So you really had no desire to seek me out?"

"Maybe, maybe not but that was just a bad time." She countered, fighting back the urge to chuckle now.

"Why?" He asked, not wanting to play her coy little guessing game.

"There was this guy." She grinned sheepishly.

"Another one?"

"There's always a guy." She chortled.

"So I've heard."

"He was different, he knew I was a werewolf and he didn't care."

"Well then why are you here, with me, and not with him?" Peter asked, an amused glint in his eyes.

"We just didn't work." Sydney dismissed the question easily.

"How fortunate for me."

"Stop being a cocky little shit." She snarled at him, but followed it up with a sly smirk.

His hand roamed over her side now, stopping to rest against her hip. She wiggled against the bed and stretched her legs back out, crossing her ankles over one another and poking his shin with her toes. Burying her face into the side of his neck, she let out a hum and settled down, fully prepared to shut her eyes and go to sleep.

"I don't know what it is about you Sydney, you never cease to amaze me."

"It's because you don't know my life story completely. We were never close, I mean the only reason I knew who you even were was because Derek was my best friend."

"Not to mention the fact that you weren't exactly in my age bracket."

"That too."

"I could talk to you forever, your stories are that intriguing."

"You can tell me your stories anytime you want you know."

"What could you possibly want to hear about me for Sydney?"

"Did you go to prom?"

"I did."

"What was that like?"

"It was a glorified high school dance."

"So you got to go to other dances too?"

"Didn't you?"

Sydney pressed her lips into a tight line and gingerly shook her head no. If it were up to her, she'd listen to him tell her every little detail about the normal human things he got to do. As much as she liked explaining her life, she rarely experienced typical teenage things, like dances, or big sports rallies, or any clubs, teams or groups in high school.

It wasn't like she regretted her teenage years, not at all. She was just too caught up with keeping the werewolf side of her a secret to get a chance to relax and when she could find a minute or two to just enjoy her life, she always found her grandparents there, desperate to maintain a decent family image. Learning to cook from her grandma, her grandpa helping her with her homework when she first moved to Colorado. It was hard for her to get out and have a social life.

"You deserved better than what you got." Peter whispered softly and she tensed in his hold.

"I've got you now." She whispered back and found her heart jumping as he let out a deep, guttural laugh. "I'm serious."

"I hardly think having me in your life makes up for the lack of your parents and proper childhood, but thank you."

"You mean a lot to me."

"And you mean more to me than you could ever imagine."

"I appreciate everything you've done for me too. I know you didn't have to let me stay here-"

"There's something about you, I couldn't turn you away."

"Well thanks." She shot him a playful smile, glad to have him next to her, the two of them actually sharing a tender moment.

"Your welcome."

Without another word between them, she rolled over so that her back was facing him. Almost immediately after she let out a huff from getting settled, his arm banded around her middle, pulling her tight against him. Feeling his soft kiss on the back of her head, Sydney snaked her arm on top of his and intertwined their fingers.

It wasn't too much longer until they were both sound asleep.

**_A glimpse into why Sydney ended up in Beacon Hills...what do you guys think?_**


	12. Chapter 12

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Thanks to those of you who have recently added this story to their alerts and favourites, don't be afraid to leave me a review, good or bad, I appreciate all different kinds of feedback (what you like, what you hate, etc). I**__**f any of you have any questions, concerns or anything really, feel free to leave it in a review or you can always PM me. Also, thank you to the anonymous person who messaged me on tumblr! Your words are too kind, all of you!**_

_****__**Special thanks to poorxbrokexcollegexkid, Becca, Madison and the two Guests who took the time to provide me with such kind words in their reviews! **_

_**The Last of Us**_

_Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.**

**Chapter 12:**

"Sydney!"

She jerked her head around at the sound of her name. Her butt was firmly planted on one of the stools at the kitchen island, one of Peter's werewolf mythology books open in front of her. She pressed her palm against the tabletop and turned on the stool to face the bedroom door, where Peter now emerged from, his hands running down his thighs.

"What can I do for you?" She asked him as he wandered towards her.

"I need you to do something for me."

She cocked her head to the side and let out a sigh. Doing things for Peter wasn't necessarily a bad thing but she knew it wasn't going to be some simple task. He certainly wasn't going to ask her to go to the store and pick something up, nor was he going to ask for a ride somewhere. Peter always required much more than she originally wanted to do.

"Do I have to?" She whined, her voice very childlike.

"What do you mean do you have to?"

"I just think I'd much rather spend my time here," She paused and he took a seat on the vacant stool next to her, "with you."

He narrowed his gaze on her but shook his head. She leaned towards him, setting her palms on his knees, moving closer and closer with each passing second. Taking her lip between her teeth, she looked up at him, the lust very evident in her eyes.

"As wonderful as that sounds, I need you to do this for me."

"And there's nothing I can do to change your mind?" She hummed, the palms of her hands sliding upwards on his thighs.

Clearing his throat, he pushed his hands against her biceps, ultimately moving her away from him, stopping anything further from happening. If he had let it go too far, there was no doubt he'd wind up with his pants down with her, maybe in his bed, maybe in the middle of the kitchen, neither place was ideal at that moment.

"I need you to follow the Stilinksi boy."

"Stiles? Follow him? Really?"

"I believe he knows more than we know and since he doesn't exactly trust me, you're my best bet."

An easy laugh escaped her throat as she looked at him, wondering what on earth he'd do without her. She was starting to feel heavily relied upon, not that she minded. At least if Peter needed her around, she'd have a place to call home, for the time being.

"So I get to baby-sit the human?" She teased, leaning her elbow on the island, dropping her cheek against her propped up hand.

"For lack of a better term, yes."

"Okay, I mean at least he's entertaining right, so I won't be bored."

"Always such a positive outlook Sydney." He teased.

Shaking his head at her, he let a smirk play upon his lips. She let out a laugh and hopped off the stool, standing straight up to her full height. He tipped his head back slightly and looked up at her. Sydney closed the distance between their bodies and snaked her arms around his neck, pulling their faces together.

"You going to at least help me find him or were you going to just shoo me out the door and hope for the best?" She murmured, resting her forehead against his.

"I suppose I could help you sniff him out."

Sydney smiled widely at him but moved her lips towards his, pressing them together. When she pulled her mouth back, she could feel his own arms holding onto her hips for dear life.

"You sure you don't want me to stay here after all?" Sydney pondered but didn't have much time to say anything else before he jerked her forward, moving in for an attack on her mouth.

Before he could lay a single kiss on her luscious lips, she turned her head away from him and chuckled. His grip on her immediately loosened and she took a couple steps back, breaking the contact of their bodies completely.

"You would drive any man completely mad." He groaned.

"I think I take pride in that fact. Now come on, I've got a teenager to look after."

**_XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX_**

The vet's office wasn't too far from the apartment but she had decided to take her car in case Stiles wasn't there. The last thing she wanted to do was to have to run around town, literally, hunting him down. She had fallen just behind Peter as they wandered out the side door of the apartment, now heading towards the parking lot to the other side.

She turned around to the front of the building and took a look around. She hadn't had a lot of time to study the environment outside the main entrance but now she found herself smiling at the small set up. A nice, clean, wooden bench resided on the concrete sidewalk, just outside the big glass doors that represented the main entrance. There was a small garden on either side of the doors and a small sapling sprouting in the centre of each of the flowerbeds.

Following closely behind Peter, she held her head up, her gaze moving around every which way she could possibly look. There were a few people wandering on the walkway, a woman holding the hand of a small child, an elderly man with a polished wooden cane in his hand. It wasn't until she laid eyes on the young gentleman walking in the opposite direction that she had to stop, her attention having been caught. He was a beautiful man; his good looks could rival those of People's sexiest man of the year without a doubt. She noted that his jaw line was chiselled, his eyes a naturally piercing green.

Her eyes remained locked on the man wandering in front of her and she couldn't help but let out a small whimper, wanting desperately to run after him, to chase him down. If she had been paying any sort of attention to her cohort she would have caught the immensely curious and somewhat offended look Peter was shooting her from right next to her now. She finally broke her gaze on the man, not because he was now out of her sightline but because Peter's fingers were pressing into the skin on her forearm, hard, threatening to rip through her jacket and her skin.

"He's so pretty." She whispered, a certain grace to her words.

"Pretty?"

"Yeah pretty, do you not know the definition of pretty? That man is a beautiful human being and some girl out there will be lucky to catch him." She mused, tilting her head to the side as she imagined herself as the lucky girl for a split second, her body all over his as she did dirty, naughty, raunchy things to him.

"You sound like a love-sick teenager." He scoffed, breaking her out of her fantasy.

"And you sound like your jealous." She retorted with an amused snort.

"Jealous, of him? No."

"You sure about that?"

"Why would I be jealous of that Neanderthal?"

"'Cause I called him pretty. I don't think I've ever called you pretty. If I were you, I'd be jealous too." She grinned, studying the unfamiliar look of what she could only assume was jealousy scribed on his face.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not jealous."

"Well alright then but if it makes you feel any better, I think you're pretty too." She chuckled, tugging her arm away from his grasp.

She wandered away from him, heading towards the parking lot at the side of the apartment building. Glancing back once she realized he wasn't following her, she caught his gaze. When she motioned to him with her hand, he finally moved from his stance on the sidewalk and walked to catch up with her, slipping a possessive arm around her waist in the process.

"You're infuriating."

"So I've been told." She beamed at him before moving her body closer to his, taking a firm hold of his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Clearing his throat, Sydney took the hint and backed away, not wanting anyone else to see them together. He didn't want to chance it, Stiles could have been lurking around the corner for all they knew, unlikely but possible.

She took off walking in front of him, still glancing around. She spotted another young man and quickly glanced back at Peter, who was a good ten feet away from her now. Her gaze met the stranger's and he plastered a cocky smirk on his face, stopping mid stride to look at her.

"What's up sexy?" The man asked, eying her body up and down hungrily.

Sydney hadn't exactly noticed him in detail until that moment and at his words, she narrowed her eyes in on him and glared. Taking a step towards the unfamiliar being, she set her one hand on her hip, backing the man up towards the nearby bench. He began backing up as she closed in on him and when the backs of his knees met the edge of the bench, he dropped down to sit on it. Sydney leaned over him, sticking her butt out and resting her palms on the seat of the bench, one on either side of him, caging him in.

"You think that's cute don't you?" She drawled.

"Come on, I was just playing."

"Oh you like to play do you, well how about a game? Shall we?" She asked, a sadistic look on her face. Gingerly, she placed the end of her index finger against the side of his temple. "My personal favourite. It's called 'how deep can I poke you until I hit brain matter'. I'll go first."

Peter glanced at her from where he stood and quirked an eyebrow. She forced her claw out, _just_ breaking through the thin barrier of the poor man's skin before Peter stepped towards her, clearing his throat to catch her attention.

"Now's not the time for games." He remarked, taking note of the terrified look in the man's eyes. He should've felt bad for the poor guy, Sydney would no doubt hurt him severely and he deserved it, she wasn't a piece of meat for him to just gawk at, but at the same time, he couldn't have her harming anyone not tied to the Darach or the Alpha pack.

"I never get to have any fun." She pouted, running her claw down the side of the man's face, leaving a tiny trail of blood as she sliced shallowly into his skin. Finally removing her hand entirely and pushing her body upright, the man let out a sigh of what she assumed was relief. He flashed Peter a thankful look before jumping up off the bench and moving out of her reach.

"There'll be plenty of time for fun later." Peter said lowly, watching carefully as the man rushed away, putting as much distance between himself and Sydney as he possibly could.

"Hmm, yeah?" She asked coyly moving towards him. She slid her hands across his chest and pressed her body into his side.

"We won't get to play _your_ game-"

"You could poke me with something else...until you hit brain matter." She smirked and he couldn't help but roll his eyes at her.

"Sydney." He scolded.

"Okay, god." She scowled and moved away from him, taking off in a walk towards the parking lot.

Peter let out a frustrated growl before rushing after her, hoping that maybe spending a few hours away from her would help him to get his head back on straight. She was intoxicating, alluring at times and downright delicious when she wanted to be. Putting space between them wouldn't do much, he knew he'd almost always want her but maybe, if he could step back, he could figure out what he was really feeling towards her.

If there was one thing Peter knew for sure it was that he was glad she was around, for the most part.

**_XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX_**

It was easy to get into the vet's office. Apparently Dr. Deaton was missing and the Sheriff was looking to question anyone who would have any idea where he could be. She had narrowed her eyes in on the young human and slipped into the room off the main lobby area, sidling up next to Stiles and the infamously moral Scott McCall.

Sydney glanced out at the two officers, one of whom was the Sheriff, who stood in the lobby, glancing around, looking for clues, motive, anything that might help locate the missing man. Stiles met her curious gaze but remained silent, motioning a hand at Scott. Apparently he was going to let the werewolves deal with each other.

"What are you even doing here?" Scott asked, his voice husky as he tried to whisper but failed as the anger in his voice took over.

"I'm actually here to try and help you." She retorted, but forced back the growl she could feel forming in her chest. She would need to remain civil if she was going to get them to warm up to her.

"Why don't you go help someone who might actually want it?"

"Like who?" She shot back, definitely curious as to what Scott could possibly be talking about. She wasn't aware that there were other people who might require her help, no one had contacted her, Peter hadn't said anything to her about any other plans around town she could be beneficial to, she was at a loss now.

"You mean you don't know?" Stiles broke in, looking closely at her face, trying to decide if he could trust her even the slightest little bit. The look in her eye let him know that she was oblivious to what was going down in the loft.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She retorted, trying to figure out what on earth was going on.

"Isaac and Boyd?" Stiles baited, hoping she just needed a hint. Sydney shook her head at him and planted her hands on her hips. Scott moved to stand between Sydney and Stiles, taking pride in protecting his friend if she made any move to suggest she was a threat.

"They went to the loft to protect Derek." Scott offered and her eyes widened at his statement. Derek needed to be protected? From what exactly and what sort of decent protection could two relatively new betas provide?

"Don't worry, it's actually a pretty ingenious plan." Stiles added and Scott's posture relaxed, feeling that Sydney wasn't too much of a threat after all. She was clueless and maybe she _could_ help them out a little bit.

"You really have no idea do you?" Scott pondered out loud but by the confused look on her face, he already knew the answer.

"I'm not part of Derek's pack, he doesn't tell me anything, in fact, we barely even have contact with each other."

Stiles' seemed to be slightly sympathetic towards the girl. She was a respectable person, not having done anything to Stiles to give him the impression she was a danger to anyone, including himself. If she had no idea of the bigger picture, maybe he'd feel better letting her in on what was going down.

"The alphas are going to go after Derek," Stiles breathed, "tonight."

"Tonight?" She shot back, knowing she was able to help Derek fight and she would too if it meant a better chance for her childhood best friend to survive.

"Like we said, Isaac and Boyd came up with a plan."

"And I can trust that you're looking out for Derek's best interest in the matter?" She asked shyly, not wanting to totally believe that Derek would need help, much less from a bunch of teenagers. If that were the case though, the threat must have been really big.

"Yeah, yeah you can." Stiles let out a sigh and glanced out into the lobby, his eyes locking on the Sheriff.

"Alright, so we're working together for now then or what?" She extended her hand towards the lanky boy, nudging his arm with her hand.

"For now." He nodded and took her hand in his, the two sharing a firm handshake. All Sydney had to do was trust the teenagers and all Stiles had to do was trust the unfamiliar werewolf in front of him.

"All right, what about the Sheriff out there?" she asked, letting go of his hand.

"You mean my dad?" Stiles countered but shook his head in defeat.

"We have to tell him." Scott interjected, gently shutting the door behind him now.

The three of them now huddled together next to a stack of critter cages. Stiles took a deep breath and looked at Sydney. She shrugged at him, not knowing what to say. Sure he could tell his dad, the Sheriff, what was going on. She didn't know if it would make a difference though. Slowly, Stiles turned to face Scott.

"You mean, like, tell him, tell him, or tell him something else that isn't telling him what I think you want to tell him?" Stiles questioned and Sydney had to take a few seconds to decipher what exactly the kid had just said.

"You know what I mean." Scott said back.

"You remember how your mom reacted? She didn't look you in the eye for, like, a week."

"A week?" Sydney broke in, somewhat surprised at how long his mother refused to meet his gaze. She let the boy's words sink in and looked between the two. She'd never understand human reactions to werewolves; things were different for her. She was born that way; it was all she ever really knew.

"She got over it, and, and it actually made us closer."

"I don't know, dude. I mean, look at him. Come on, he's completely overwhelmed as it is." Stiles said lowly and Sydney could tell that he was going to do everything he could to protect his father. She understood where he was coming from. If she had the opportunity to keep her father safe, she would fight until her body gave out.

"He's overwhelmed because he has no clue what's happening. He's got people dying in his town, the town that he's supposed to protect, and it's not his fault that he doesn't know what's happening. He's going to find out sooner or later."

"Yeah, but is now really the right time?" Stiles questioned and his eyes landed on Sydney. She shrugged at him.

"Honestly kid, I don't know that there's ever going to be a 'right time'. I'm not going to say it'll be easy for him, or anyone, to find out the town he's trying to protect is overrun with werewolves but telling him _could_ make it easier. At least he'd know what was going on, what he's up against."

"What if not telling him now gets someone else killed?" Scott added, hoping everything would turn out all right in the end. All eyes were on Sydney now and she just scowled at them in response to their stares.

"What if telling him gets him killed, huh? I mean, okay, look, I get that Deaton's been like a father to you. I get that, okay? But this is m... Scott, this is my actual father." Stiles' voice was faltering; the boy was clearly on edge. "I can't...I can't lose both of my parents, all right? Not both of them."

"You're right." Scott submitted, obviously feeling very similar to the way Sydney was reacting to the Sheriff's son at that moment.

"No, I'm not. I'm not right. I'll tell him."

"If it's any consolation, I'll do my best to keep anything from happening to him." Sydney offered, knowing exactly how it felt to lose those that loved you unconditionally.

She was vaguely aware that Stiles' mother wasn't in the picture, and Peter had mentioned that he thought it was because she had passed away, but she wasn't entirely sure. She hated herself for weeks after the slaughter of her own parents and she'd never wish those feelings on anyone, especially not the poor human being in front of her.

"I'll help you." Scott caved and Sydney found herself resting her hand on his shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

With a deep breath, Stiles moved forward, Scott pulling the door open to the lobby. Sydney let her hand fall away from him and followed the two boys out of the back room, her eyes landing on a terribly skinny, dark haired woman who was talking to the Sheriff. She tilted her head, catching the last of her words before the lawman excused himself. The woman closed the distance between her own body and the three of them.

"Okay, listen closely, all of you. No sheriff, deputy, or detective is going to be able to find him." She stated, her voice low.

"You don't have to ask us for help." Scott retorted.

"Actually, I'm trying to help _you_, because, if you're going to find my brother, then you need to use the one person who might actually have an ability to seek out the supernatural." The woman continued, and Sydney found herself incredibly confused by the exchange.

"Who's she talking about?" Sydney asked, glancing between the three of them now.

"Lydia." Stiles answered, his eyes meeting Sydney's.

The dark haired girl turned on her heel and headed further into the vet clinic, disappearing into some other back hallway. Sydney leaned down and poked her head between the two guys, turning to face Stiles, who was clearly the brains of the operation.

"So where do we find Lydia?" Sydney asked, her curiosity now peaked.

"Back at school." Scott said with a huff.

_**XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX**_

"Do you hear anything?" Stiles questioned as the blaring of the fire alarm sounded out in the halls. Sydney struggled with the loud sounds drilling into her head. She pressed her palms against her ears and let out a growl, hoping to tune into something that would calm her down.

"No." Sydney ground out and shook her head furiously.

Stiles paused in his walking and gently pushed her against the wall, taking hold of her wrists. She stopped any movement from her shoulders up and raised her chin upwards, meeting his concerned gaze. A deep breath filled her lungs and she held it in her chest, feeling the vibrations of the bell through the wall. Stiles squeezed her wrists the slightest bit tighter and Sydney slowly filtered out the hustle and bustle around her, tuning in to the beating of the human heart from the boy in front of her.

Letting the air out of her lungs, she continued to focus on the consistent thumping of the heartbeat. After a few seconds of taking deep breaths and drowning out as much of the blaring alarm as she could, Sydney visibly relaxed, Stiles cautiously peeling his fingers away from her skin.

"How about now?" He asked, moving his hands away from her completely.

Taking another big inhale, Sydney shut her eyes and listened for anything other than the beating of hearts and the now faint, muffled sound of the alarm bell. She turned her head slightly to the right and picked up on a familiar voice, a very faint familiar voice.

"I can hear Cora." Sydney confessed in a whisper and took hold of Stiles' hand, rushing in the direction of the voice.

She rounded the corner and looked both ways, similar to the way a child might before crossing the street. She perked up and headed to the right, Stiles now rushing to keep up beside her, the two working almost flawlessly as a team. Part of her found herself thinking that if she weren't completely enamoured with Peter, maybe she'd give the young man a run for his money.

Rounding another corner, the two of them closed in on the athletic hall, Stiles rushing forward now, seemingly knowing exactly where he would find Lydia. Sydney followed close behind him, the voice very clear now, no doubt Stiles heard Cora and the girl in question exchanging words.

"Let go." Lydia's voice was commanding, even though it was heard through a door. Sydney could sense the youngest Hale's frustration; it was similar to her own. All the girl wanted to do was hurt someone and apparently that someone was Lydia. "I said-"

Stiles ripped the door open, Sydney right behind him now as he took a step inside and set his glare on Cora. Sydney growled at her for good measure.

"Let go. You said, let go." Stiles broke in and Sydney found herself somewhat proud of him, his voice didn't waver at all, there was no faltering, no hesitation, nothing, just a confident command at a werewolf. Maybe it was because she was right there to back him up, or maybe it was simply because he was starting to grow a pair.

"You." Cora accused, flashing her werewolf eyes at Sydney.

"Don't worry _little girl_ I won't kick your ass this time." Sydney shot back and Stiles took hold of Lydia's arm, tugging her out of the room and out of harm's way.

Cora's eyes stayed glued to Sydney as the two non-werewolves wandered away from them, heading out into the now vacant hallway. Sydney slowly moved her gaze away from Cora, taking off in a lazy jog after Stiles, not wanting to let him out of her sight. Cora's quick footfalls were heard behind her and suddenly the two were racing to catch up to the humans.

Sydney pushed forward, gaining more ground and leaving Cora further and further behind. She rounded the corner and ran right by Stiles, who was walking briskly next to Lydia. Turning around to run backwards, she smiled at her new human comrade, catching the intense glare on Cora's face behind him.

She let out a chuckled but stopped her movements, waiting for Stiles to take back the lead, the three girls following closely behind him as he ventured into a nearby empty classroom. A discarded Ouija board resided on the top of one of the tables. Clearly Scott had dropped it off after taking off and leaving Stiles and Sydney on their own to find Lydia.

She remained next to Stiles, the other two girls taking a seat on the opposite side of the table as he set the board up. Cora snarled at her but Sydney flashed her a grin, leaning over with her elbows on the edge of the tabletop, her chin now resting in her hands.

"A Ouija board?" Lydia asked, somewhat astounded at the object in front of her.

"Also called a spirit board, and it's worth a shot." Stiles replied and glanced over at Sydney.

"A shot in the dark." Lydia muttered and Sydney shrugged her shoulders at him.

"Could you just try it, please, okay?" Stiles pleaded, and Sydney could easily sense his frustration. "Let's not forget who this is for, Scott's boss, the guy who has saved our collective asses on more than one occasion."

"I never got to do this as a kid." Sydney announced, a sense of wonder to her tone.

"You-you never used a Ouija board?" Stiles questioned, wondering what other surprises the girl had in store for him.

"Nah, my grandma wouldn't let me." She nodded but then shook her head so as not to let him push it anymore.

Stiles turned back to face the girls, even Cora's glare subdued at her admission. No one in the room knew about her life before she came back to Beacon Hills and she wasn't about to divulge anymore. Moving her hand toward the plastic piece of the Ouija board, Cora broke the silence.

"Wait, should we all do this?"

"Yeah, yeah." He nodded and followed Sydney's lead, moving his fingers to rest against the pointer. "You guys ready?"

"Yeah." Lydia nodded.

"Yes." Cora added.

Sydney held her breath now, hoping that something wicked cool would happen. Stiles took in a deep breath too before letting the air out of his lungs.

"Where's Dr. Deaton?" Stiles asked calmly.

No one said a word as they waited for Lydia to do something, or say something. Sydney anticipated the movement of the plastic pointer on the board but after a few seconds, nothing happened. When she looked around at the people surrounding the table, she found that everyone's eyes were on Lydia.

"What?" The girl asked, everyone's accusing gaze set firmly on her.

"Aren't you going to answer it?" Stiles asked right back.

"Oh, I don't know the answer. I thought we were asking some sort of spirit." Lydia responded and Sydney let out a snort of amusement. Stiles moved slightly and looked at Cora, the two of them silently conversing with their eyes.

"Well, do you know any spirits?" Cora inquired, tearing her eyes away from Stiles to look at Lydia.

"Got a ghost as best friend perhaps?" Sydney added with a smile.

"Are they for real?" Lydia directed her question at Stiles, pointing at the two female werewolves. Sydney took offence to her accusation and met Cora's frustrated gaze.

"Shall we try something else oh wise one?" Sydney teased, reaching her hand out and clapping Stiles gently on the shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, okay." The boy nodded and dug deep into his pockets.

Sydney couldn't help but admire the boy. Here he was in a sticky situation and yet he was still rather calm. If she were in his position, trying to get the location of a man in grave danger from some girl who may or may not be psychic, or something, she'd be having a hard time not gouging the girl's eyes out with her claws.

Letting out a sigh, Sydney took a step around the table and grabbed hold of a nearby stool, sliding it across the tile floor and planting her butt on it. She now sat at the side of the table, wondering what the boy was going to do next. When he pulled a set of keys out of his pocket, she looked at him curiously.

"Are we going somewhere?" She asked.

"No, okay, these are Deaton's keys for the clinic. Close you're eyes, and I'm going to put them in your hand, and then we're just going to try and see if you can feel out for his location. It's called psychometry." Stiles explained, making a point to look at Sydney as he answered her question.

"I'm not a psychic." Lydia objected.

"You're something! Okay? Just, Lydia, put out your hand, and..." Stiles looked around at the three women and caught the curious look in Sydney's eyes.

"She's something that can raise the dead." Sydney muttered, reminiscing about the time she had used Derek to resurrect Peter. Stiles shook his head at her and dropped the keys into Lydia's open palm, the girl's body jerked and a small hum made its way out of her throat.

"What?" Stiles questioned, clearly anxious to hear good news. Perhaps the young girl, psychic or not, might actually be useful. Sydney glanced between Stiles and Lydia, a hopeful expression dancing on her face.

"They're cold." Lydia countered nonchalantly and Sydney swore the vein in Stiles' forehead popped out instantly. Reaching out and placing her palm on his forearm, she tried to comfort him a little bit, to ease his frustration so that he didn't blow a gasket.

Stiles' arm muscles tensed under Sydney's gentle grasp and he narrowed his eyes on Lydia, his pupils nearly going in opposite directions out of sheer annoyance.

"Lydia, concentrate, please? Trying to save lives here, for the love of God." Stiles breathed out the last few words and averted his gaze to the floor, silently praying he wouldn't have to reconsider his rules about hitting a girl.

Lydia shut her eyes and concentrated, just as Stiles had asked. Her fingers clenched and unclenched around the keys for a few seconds and when her expression went from somewhat relaxed to a look of pure confusion, Stiles' voice broke into the silence yet again.

"What is it? What do you see?" he asked and Sydney perked up too, hoping they'd get a lead, or something, from the crazy young lady sitting at the desk.

"Nothing." Lydia shook her head and Cora let out a sigh, Stiles dropped his head down to look at the floor.

Sydney couldn't help but feel a little bad for the boy. Here he was, sitting across from the girl who he claimed had to be 'something' yet she wasn't doing anything to suggest she was more than a mere human. He was clearly frustrated, desperation seeping into his body too. Inhaling deeply, she found that she could easily smell the large change of emotion in the teen.

"You got anything else to try?" Sydney asked, maintaining a level head. If everyone else in the room was just going to become more and more frustrated, the least she could do was hold everyone steady, remaining calm and hoping that they'd feel her energy radiating off her too. As much as she knew it was impossible, the mental picture of Stiles' head exploding plagued her thoughts.

"Well, yeah, actually." Stiles answered, glancing at Sydney and catching the small smile on her face.

Turning around and wandering towards what Sydney could only assume was the teacher's desk, he grabbed a discarded notebook and flipped it open. When he turned back to face the three females, he set the book on the desk in front of the strawberry blonde and reached over to the table beside them to grab hold of a pencil.

"What is this? Creative writing time?" Sydney pondered, wondering what on earth a pencil and notebook had to do with helping them. "Oh no wait, are we going to brainstorm now, start with the circle in the centre, Deaton right, and we go from there?"

Stiles' tossed her a notable glare and she let out a huff. It wasn't her fault she had no idea what his plan was, she hadn't even figured on being with the teenagers that day until Peter had asked her to at the last second. She couldn't just say no to the man, and as much as she didn't really want to leave him for the day, she had done exactly what he asked and was now babysitting the Stilinski boy, the very boy who was starting to get as fed up with Sydney's remarks as he was with Lydia's lack of taking everything seriously.

"It's called _automatic_ writing." Stiles nodded and extended the pencil towards Lydia.

"Automatic writing?" Lydia pondered out loud and Sydney nodded along with the girl, wondering what the boy was talking about. His intelligence never seemed to lack in any area and she found herself admiring how hard he must have worked throughout his life to attain such knowledge.

Stiles didn't utter another word though and gave the girl one firm nod. Lydia reached out and took the pencil reluctantly before pressing the tip to the blank page. Sydney couldn't help but smile at the wispy lines and the gentle curves the girl was creating on the page. Tearing her eyes away from the paper, she looked at Stiles, who's forehead vein had not gone down in size but had, in fact, popped out more, if at all possible.

"Lydia, what are you doing? What... what the hell is that?" Stiles asked, irritation very evident in his posture.

"A tree." Lydia replied coolly.

"A tr- Lydia, you're supposed to be writing words, like in sentences, something like a location, something that would tell us where he is." Stiles shot back and Sydney was awestruck at how many facial expressions the male teenager had made in less than ten seconds.

"Well, maybe you should've said that." Lydia fired back.

"So, was this like a last resort tactic then or do you have something else we can try in your little bag of tricks?" Sydney inquired, silently applauding the girl's artistic ability when it came to drawing trees.

"No, that was the last idea." Stiles groaned.

"So what do we do now?"

"I don't-I don't know."

"Well isn't she supposed to be some kind of genius?" Cora asked, looking to Stiles for answers.

"Genius? Yes. Psychic, no." Lydia sighed. "Honestly, I don't know why you're even bothering with me anyway. I mean, especially since it's obvious you should be talking to Danny."

"What? Why Danny?" Stiles threw back. What on earth did the girl know that neither he, nor Sydney, did not?

"Danny?" Sydney added, clearly confused as to why another teenage human would be involved in werewolf/sacrificing business.

The sound of footsteps caught Cora and Sydney's ears, werewolf hearing obviously an advantage. The steps were somewhat familiar though, as was the scent emanating into the room from the hall. When Scott McCall walked into the room, all eyes were on him, everyone's undivided attention no doubt.

"Because, last night, he was a target." Scott started to explain vaguely. "But he wasn't a sacrifice."

"But isn't Danny still in the hospital?" Cora asked out loud.

"Wait what? What the hell happened last night?" Sydney broke in, so very obviously out of the loop.

"Ethan brought Danny into the ER because he couldn't breath, apparently he was poisoned, with mistletoe."

"Fuck me." Sydney groaned, wondering just how much of what was going Peter knew about. He wasn't one to reveal things to her if he didn't feel it were necessary and there wasn't a doubt in her mind that he was aware of something happening last night, maybe he was foggy with the details, maybe he needed more information and that was why he sent Sydney out to baby sit.

"So he _is_ still in the hospital?" Cora pushed further, looking between Stiles and Scott.

"Yeah. That's where we're going right now." Stiles nodded back and motioned for Sydney to follow his lead.

Scott paused just before they all got to the doorway and announced, "I'll meet you there."

"Why?" Stiles retorted and before anyone could say another word, Scott lifted his cell phone up and showed them all the text from Allison, the hunter, saying 'I think I found something'.

Sydney gently pushed Stiles on his back and forced him forward, walking just behind him as he led the three girls out into the hall before heading towards the front of the school. If Sydney had known how much ground they were going to cover of Beacon Hills, she would have pushed harder to stay with Peter.

A simple babysitting job, yeah right. Peter was going to be in for a reaming when she got home.

**_Sydney and some of the other Teen Wolf characters interacting! What do you guys think about that?_**


	13. Chapter 13

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Many thanks goes out to those of you who added this story to their alerts and favourites, don't be afraid to leave me a review, good or bad, I appreciate all different kinds of feedback (what you like, what you hate, etc). I**__**f any of you have any questions, concerns or anything really, feel free to leave it in a review or you can always PM me. **_

_**Huge thanks to the people who messaged me on tumblr regarding this story! Your words are too kind and I hope you continue to read and enjoy!**_

_****__**Special thanks to poorxbrokexcollegexkid (Stiles adores Sydney!), and the Guest who took the time to provide me with such kind words in their reviews! **_

_**The Last of Us**_

_Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.**

**Chapter 13:**

Standing in the doorway to Danny's hospital room, Sydney watched as Stiles slowly crept closer to the bed, and ultimately to the backpack residing on the floor beside it. She had her arms crossed over her chest, one hand raised up to cover her mouth as she watched in sheer amusement at the stealthy human boy creeping further and further into the room.

Stiles was proving to be just as, if not more so, entertaining than she originally believed. He slowly closed the distance between himself and the backpack in the dimly lit hospital room. Sydney fought back a laugh as Stiles leaned over the sleeping boy and looked his face over.

"Danny, you awake?" Stiles asked in a whisper, even going as far as to nudge his shoulder a couple of times for reassurance. "Danny?" Stiles lightly slapped the unconscious boy on his cheek a few times before backhanding the kid a little more forcefully than Sydney would have liked. She stifled a giggle, wondering how on earth the boy could have slept through all of Stiles' abuse.

"Stop." She whispered loudly to him, fighting back a grin.

"Wow." Stiles remarked as he flung himself backwards, away from the boy who barely moved at all.

Crouching down and moving towards the backpack, Stiles extended his hands out and began to rifle through its contents. Sydney rolled her eyes at him but immediately tensed as the mouth on the sleeping boy began to move.

"What are you doing?" Danny murmured.

Stiles' popped his head up and looked at the side of the sleeping boys face. Sydney locked her eyes on him, hoping that the lanky teenager wouldn't ruin their mission now, simply because he had woken up the boy they were trying to investigate.

"I'm not doing anything, Danny. This is just a dream that you're having." Stiles whispered in a sing-song voice.

He quickly ducked back down and continued to rifle through the backpack. Sydney tiptoed into the room further, preparing herself to knock the kid out by force if he happened to wake up. She had to reserve the integrity of the mission, if a punch to the face was what it was going to take, she'd have no problem doing it.

"Why are you going through my stuff?" Danny's voice was soft and barely audible, but yet his words meant that he was conscious enough to realize something was up.

Stiles popped right back up. "Right, but only in the dream, remember? Dream. Dreaming."

Sydney took another few steps towards Danny and glanced down at Stiles, wondering how much longer he was going to be. It didn't take long for Danny's voice to be heard once again.

"Why would I dream about you going through my stuff?"

For a third time, Stiles head popped up, this time a perturbed look etched on his face. His voice was more forceful this time as he shot back an answer.

"I don't know that, Danny, okay? It's your dream. Take responsibility for it. Shut up and go back to sleep."

Sydney let out a cough as a lame attempt to stop her laughter from bubbling up out of her throat. She bent down behind Stiles and set her hand on his shoulder as he continued digging through the boy's backpack. Stopping seconds later on some high school science paper, he glanced back at Sydney.

"What?" She asked in a hushed tone.

"Danny boy might've actually found something here." He stated and flicked the paper with his hand.

She rose to her feet, Stiles following suit, as the two of them crept back out of the hospital room side by side.

When they got back into the hall, she glanced down at the paper, something about telluric currents. She found herself wondering just what kind of classes these kids in high school were taking nowadays. When she was a teenager, she definitely knew nothing about telluric currents, in fact, she didn't know anything about them now and she was twenty-four.

Stiles tossed her a sad smile and the two of them continued right on down the hall, making their way to the front of the hospital and ultimately out into the cool evening air. It was time for the next step in figuring out where Deaton was.

Stiles pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialled a number he must have been familiar with. Sydney remained in stride next to him as they made their way back towards the jeep. The young boy moved his phone to his ear and listened as it rung. Sydney listened in too, letting out a breath at the sound of Scott's voice.

"Scott, hey Scott, did you find anything out?"

"Allison's dad had everything mapped out, there were symbols for where people were taken and symbols for where the bodies were found."

"How many symbols?" Sydney shouted at the phone, desperate to make her presence known.

"Six." Scott's voice echoed out of the phone.

"So what's that mean exactly?" She shot right back, hoping they could get a move on. There was no way they were going to find the vet in time if they were all busy gawking at everyone else's discoveries.

"Deaton's got to be at one of the six locations, but they're all over town." Scott hesitated but pressed forward. "I don't know how we can get to all of them fast enough"

"Well, we might not have to." Stiles broke in and glanced at Sydney, his pace picking up in speed. "Danny was doing a project on something for Mr. Harris's physics class, and I think it actually means something."

"What project?" Scott asked.

"Something on telluric currents." Stiles answered.

"Did you say currents?"

"Yeah."

Sydney jogged around the side of the jeep as they approached it and waited for the boy to open the doors. Stiles let out a huff as Scott proceeded to tell him where to meet him. It seemed they were headed back to the vet's office now.

Climbing into the jeep, Sydney made herself comfortable on the passenger seat, curling her legs up under her bum and leaning slightly towards Stiles.

Seconds later, the lanky teenager hung up the phone and set it in the console between the seats. He turned to Sydney with a dreadful look in his eyes and she knew it wasn't going to be easy. She hesitated, not wanting to distract him as he started the jeep and cautiously pulled out of the parking space, heading for the road.

"So what exactly happened to Danny again?" She asked quietly, almost afraid that Stiles would blow up at her, his pent up frustration at the entire situation still very evident in his movements.

"Ethan brought him to the hospital, whoever is sacrificing people targeted him."

"By poisoning him with mistletoe?"

"Yeah apparently."

"But you said he couldn't breathe, what does that have to do with-"

"His lung collapsed."

"But obviously he survived."

"Yeah, thanks to Scott's mom."

Sydney sighed but dropped the conversation, not bothering to find out the details. Scott's mom was obviously some health care professional, who Sydney assumed worked at the hospital. Maybe she was very proficient in saving people's lives. Her son was a reckless teenager, not to mention a werewolf, after all.

Stiles took a quick glance at Sydney, debating whether or not to press her for her side of the story. He knew there must have been a reason she wasn't part of Derek's pack anymore, something had to have pushed her over the edge. He bit back the questions lingering on his tongue, deciding it would be better for his own good if he didn't irritate the female werewolf next to him. She could no doubt hurt him severely and in the closed confined space of the vehicle, his chances of survival if she did decide to hurt him weren't looking good.

"You got something you want to say?" She asked, staring at the side of his head.

"What, how do you know?"

"You have this look on your face, the same look I've seen on an old friend whenever he wanted to know something."

"I don't have a look."

"You do so, it's rather irritating." She growled. "But at the same time adorable, in a little kid sort of way."

"Adorable, oh wow."

"Oh my god, just fucking spit it out already."

Stiles let out a long breath before speaking, "So you left Derek's pack, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, why?"

Sydney tilted her head to the side and debated how to answer the question. She could easily tell him the reason but at the same time, she felt like she didn't owe him anything. Stiles seemed to be a naturally curious human, a very nosy, naturally curious human.

"What does it matter?" She asked back, trying to get an angle on why he really wanted to know. Perhaps he had an ulterior motive for wanting to know why she left.

"I mean I know that Derek's not a particularly confident alpha, I get that-"

"I'm glad you know that. He doesn't trust people, even people he should."

"People like you?" Stiles questioned.

"Not _just_ people like me, but yes, people in his pack. I was there for him, to support his decisions and back him up when he needed it, I wasn't just there to be ignored like some useless dog."

"If it makes you feel any better, I think you'd make a better alpha than him, hands down."

"Yeah, well, thanks but I'm starting to figure out that I'm better off on my own anyhow."

Stiles nodded his agreement with her. He didn't entirely think Derek deserved to have her walk away but he knew how the older werewolf treated people, especially important people. Derek and Scott still weren't very tolerable of each other and it had been a good year of them working together, side by side.

He stole another glance at the woman seated in his jeep and couldn't help but take in the sight of her. She was a beautiful woman, he didn't need to know about her personality to know that but the more he found out about her, the more he appreciated her. She had offered to help protect his dad, for what, he wasn't entirely sure, she didn't owe him anything and she barely even knew him, yet she had given him an offer, one that he would maybe take her up on if the situation called for it.

She was certainly strong, and definitely smart, maybe smarter than she let on. He saw it, when they had been in the loft while Scott and Derek were breaking into the vault. She was on her feet at the same time as Peter had been when the oldest Hale had the sudden realization of _why_ the alpha pack was using the vault. Sydney must have known too, for she was one step ahead of him, looking for the material the walls were made of.

Aligning herself with Peter made a tiny bit of sense to him. She deserved to not be an Omega all on her own. Stiles had no doubt that she could defend herself in normal circumstance but here, now, in Beacon Hills, there was a pack, a frigging pack of alphas running amuck. Even the most seasoned of werewolves wouldn't survive that, plus Stiles was very well aware of how cunning Peter could be.

After the man had offered Stiles the bite, and actually respected his decision of not wanting it, he harboured a secret sense of respect for the man, even if he was completely crazy. The man was a bad ass, without any qualms, for he was the only man around that Stiles knew of who had come back from the dead.

"You're not alone though." Stiles remarked and the vet's office came into view.

"Okay well if you're suggesting that Peter is some kind of super awesome werewolf, you're sorely mistaken."

"He's better than nothing and more competent than Derek."

"Yeah but he's not very _fun_." She shot back with a snort of amusement.

Stiles couldn't help but smirk at her joyous expression. He was quite enjoying his time with the woman; she wasn't as secretive as he thought she'd be. Not at all, Sydney was almost easy to converse with, not like talking to Cora, where it felt like he was forcing her to speak to him most of the time. Sydney flashed him a small smile.

"You can't expect a zombie werewolf to be fun."

"On the contrary Stiles, he has his moments. He's watched Batman with me on occasion."

"What like the movies?"

"You wish!" She laughed. "No, the cartoon!"

"Maybe he watched so he could get ideas for diabolical plots."

"Yeah from the Joker." She continued to laugh.

"I can see that. If we were in Batman world, he could definitely be the Joker." Stiles nodded and slowed the jeep down to turn into the small parking lot connected to the vet's office.

"Right and who would you be?" She asked curiously, wondering if his answer would match her thoughts. She definitely saw him being Batman. Sure Scott was a werewolf but there was something about Stiles that screamed 'very intelligent superhero'.

"Nightwing, I guess."

"Slightly better than Robin." She nodded her agreement, but kept her own opinion to herself. "And who would I be?"

"Come on, that's easy, you'd totally be Harley Quinn." He nodded and brought the jeep to a stop in one of the vacant spots.

Turning the jeep off, he reached to the side and started to open the door. Sydney stretched her arm out and set it on his shoulder, gently pushing on it so he turned back to face her.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because, you're smart and strong enough to be on your own, but for some reason you've chosen to align yourself with someone very much like the Joker."

Sydney opened her mouth to argue but found that she couldn't come up with anything to actually say. Stiles flashed her a sympathetic smile and pulled out of her grasp, moving to get out of the jeep. Sydney followed his lead and hopped onto the surface of the pavement, her feet making small thuds as she did so. Shutting her door, she wandered around the front of the jeep and caught Stiles as he motioned for her to follow him, Danny's science project firmly grasped in his hand.

He led her through the front lobby part of the office and straight to the back where she knew all too well. Standing around the large metal table, the same one Ennis was laying on when she killed him, were none other than Scott, Lydia and Cora.

Stiles stepped towards the table and held the paper in front of him. He leaned his elbows on the metallic surface, Sydney dropped down and doing the same next to him.

"This is it, Danny's paper on telluric currents." Stiles stated, flicking the side of the pages.

"Okay, so, what does this kid's homework have to do with finding Deaton?" Cora demanded to know, her eyes scanning over Stiles and Sydney, probably making sure the werewolf hadn't harmed the human boy in any way.

"Because it's not just homework, okay? It's a project on geomagnetic fields. They flow through the earth. They can even be affected by lunar phases, all right? Now, look at this. This is a note from Harris on Danny's proposal." Stiles flipped the first page back and pointed to the red handwriting at the top of the page. Lydia leaned over the boy's shoulder, as did Sydney, the two of them taking in the words on the page.

Lydia's voice broke out first and Sydney continued reading silently to herself.

"'I strongly advise you to choose another subject. The ideas here, while innovative and thoughtful, border on pseudo-science. Not suitable for class.'" Lydia said aloud, benefiting those on the other side of the table. Sydney looked across at Scott, whose eyes were wide now.

"Harris wasn't just a sacrifice. He knew something." Scott pointed out.

"Now, check this out." Stiles offered as he unfolded a giant map and Scott dropped the various pages he had been holding on to the table. "Allison's dad wasn't the only one with a map, all right? Danny had one too. Danny marked all the telluric currents, okay? Now, the weird thing about Beacon Hills is that it actually _is_ a beacon. You wouldn't believe how much energy flowing through the earth is around this town."

Sydney glanced at the map, then at the pages sitting on top of the map. She brought her eyes up and nodded at Scott as he looked back at her.

"Stiles, look, they match." Scott offered and Sydney gave him a proud smile. "All right, there's three places, right? Where they're kidnapped, and then the place where their body was found."

As he circled the locations of where the bodies were found, Lydia leaned down closer and took notice of the two different coloured curve intersecting. Sydney remained quiet, hoping the teenagers could figure it out themselves. If the couldn't though, she'd gladly jump in, but she didn't want to let them know that she knew as much as she did.

"Look, that's right on the telluric current." Lydia broke in, her fingertip resting on the intersecting location.

"So, maybe where he was sacrificed is somewhere in between." Scott continued and Sydney couldn't help but follow the flow of each curve, trying to figure it out before the teenagers did.

"Let me see that. You said there's six more bodies to be found and Deaton's one of them. Got to be somewhere in between, right?" Stiles drew an 'x' in one of the circles Scott had drawn seconds earlier.

"Stop." Cora grabbed Stiles' hand and pushed it back towards Beacon Hills First National. "He's in the vault. He's in the same vault."

Sydney was the first to move towards the door, getting ready to rip out of the room and head right for the vault. Scott was right behind her. As she made it to the doorway, a voice broke the panicked vibe of the room.

"Guys, hold on." Lydia called out and Stiles gathered the papers strewn across the table.

"Lydia, we don't have time." Scott hissed as he turned back around to face them all.

"It's Boyd. The plan didn't work. They cut the power." Cora stated.

Sydney's mouth hung open in confusion as she glanced around the room, wondering if anyone was going to actually tell her the plan. Scott stepped into the room and looked down at his shoes before bringing his gaze back up to meet Cora's.

"It's just like he said. Go. I can save Deaton myself."

"What? Scott, what about us?" Stiles pondered out loud, slightly concerned about not having his best friend, and werewolf, to back them up.

"Cora can't get there fast enough without you. Go. We can save both of them." Scott shot back.

"You said it was a genius plan!" Sydney shouted as Scott brushed past her. She narrowed her eyes on Stiles, a fiery look flooding her gaze.

"It was!" Stiles retorted.

"Well Jesus fuck, why didn't it work? We should maybe find out, right?" She shot back sarcastically.

"All right, let's go." Stiles offered and they all rushed out of the back room of the vet's office.

**_XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX_**

Sydney was the first one to enter the darkened room in the basement of Derek's building. She had demanded that Stiles explain the plan to her while they rushed to the loft in his jeep. It didn't take much from him before she could piece together what it all meant when he mentioned the electricity and the indoor pool that was once Derek's loft.

She rushed to the wall holding the switches for the building's electricity. She took a deep breath and focused her eyes on the handles, trying to figure out what exactly she was expected to do. She could faintly hear the feminine screams from the loft but Sydney quickly took a look at Stiles. He nodded at her and she calmed down slightly.

"Okay, what do we do?" Stiles asked out loud, hoping for ideas on how to figure out which handles to pull.

Sydney reached out and ran her fingers along each one, following the wiring upwards, as if knowing where it went would help her figure it out.

"Pull them, pull all of them." Cora growled and quickly nudged Sydney out of the way.

Sydney pushed her way back into the mix as they all sporadically started pulling the small levers. Sydney stopped moving altogether at the sound of the electricity flowing through the loft above them, she could hear the hissing and crackling easily. Stiles set his hands on her shoulders and brought her out of her daze. The two girls had already taken off, running up the stairs.

Sydney quickly took off after them, Stiles right behind her. She took over the lead when she hit the floor the loft was on and stopped mid stride as Kali sashayed out of the giant loft door.

Shoving Stiles behind her, she bared her teeth and growled at the woman, knowing that whatever just happened inside the loft wasn't going to be an easy scene to bare witness too. Kali simply smirked back at Sydney, an air of confidence in her stride, even without the double mint twins wandering out after her. Stiles tensed behind her and rested his palm between Sydney's shoulder blades, no one moving a muscle as they waited for Kali to pass them without incident.

As soon as the three alphas had their backs to Sydney and her temporary gang of humans, they took off for the loft, Cora rushing to a fallen Boyd as Sydney stopped on the first step, looking into the loft. She heard Isaac's heavy breathing next to her as he sat next to some woman Sydney didn't know.

Her eyes fell on Derek and when Stiles nudged her arm before surging forward, she couldn't help but watch in awe as he closed the distance between himself and Derek, who was down on one knee. She lifted her hand up and held it over her mouth, fighting back the urge to cry out.

She continued to watch as Stiles reached out and set a comforting hand on Derek's shoulder. Sydney lurched forward and dropped to her own knees in front of Derek. It didn't matter that she wasn't part of his pack anymore, or if he wasn't her alpha, all that mattered at that exact moment was that Derek was her best friend.

She leaned forward and slipped her arms around his body, hugging him tight as his body collapsed against hers. She held him up and shivered slightly as he nuzzled his face into her shoulder, fighting back the tears she knew he was going to be letting out.

"Shh, Derek, it's not your fault." She murmured, running her hands through his hair. Stiles' hand still rested on his shoulder and Sydney raised an eyebrow at him almost as if to say 'thank you for all you've done'.

Slowly, stealthily, Sydney dropped down to her butt and pulled Derek with her, forcing him to drop his knee and collapsed to the water-covered floor next to her. She held him, glancing around the room cautiously, wondering who was going to make the first move. Her attention levelled on the woman at the door next to Isaac, and she swore she saw her eyes flicker.

Maybe it was just the light reflecting against her glassy eyes, maybe it was a trick of her own mind, either way, Sydney brushed it off and held Derek tighter against her body in an attempt to soothe him into calmness.

Her hands never stopped moving through his hair as she continued to hold him, softly whispering to him, telling him that he wasn't as fault, no one in the room blamed him for not being able to protect Boyd. As incompetent as she knew Derek could be, she also knew that no matter what, the fallen man in her arms would fight until he collapsed to try to keep those around him safe.

_**More Batman references! Sydney's a little protective of her friends right? What did you guys all think? **_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Many thanks goes out to those of you who have recently added this story to their alerts and favourites! Don't be afraid to leave me a review, good or bad, I appreciate all different kinds of feedback (what you like, what you hate, etc). I**__**f any of you have any questions, concerns or anything really, feel free to leave it in a review or you can always PM me, don't be shy. **_

_**Huge thanks to the people who messaged me on tumblr regarding this story! Your words are too kind and I hope you all continue to read and enjoy!**_

_****__**Special thanks to poorxbrokexcollegexkid, 19irene96, SilverShadowWolf46, twibe and the Guest who took the time to review! It makes me happy that you guys like this story as much as you do! **_

_**The Last of Us**_

_Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.**

**Chapter 14:**

Sydney was dragging her feet as she slowly entered the apartment. She peeled off her boots, gently shut the door behind her and made her way to the kitchen, having spotted Peter standing at the island as soon as she opened the door. He was hovering over a bunch of papers, which were laid out on the countertop, including the same map that she had been looking at when they were all in the vet's office earlier.

Her eyes scanned over the other papers, which were laid out so that a pattern of four circles, connected by a fifth in the middle of them all, was formed. She blinked away the remaining tears that were still lingering in her eyes before meeting his concerned gaze.

"I assume that it didn't go as well as you or I could have hoped." He stated sombrely.

"Boyd's dead." She nodded, telling him everything he needed to know with just two words.

"How tragic."

"Whatever, it is what is it." She shrugged and tried to play of off like she wasn't totally heartbroken over what she had witnessed.

"I would have gladly tagged along but you know how _unwelcoming _those people can be."

"Yeah." She forced the word out.

"They've tried to kill me on more than one occasion."

Sydney narrowed her eyes on him and scoffed. She certainly wasn't in the mood for his sarcastic asshole bullshit. She had just comforted her best friend after the alphas used him to kill one of his pack, she was definitely in no mood.

"Maybe if you stopped being a complete psychopath, people wouldn't always be trying to kill you." She let out a huff as she flopped onto the stool across from him.

"I'm not a _complete _psychopath." He argued, standing on the opposite side of the kitchen.

"Figure of speech Peter, either way you're pretty fucked up." Sydney waved her hand in the air at him, a glare set on her face.

"You're no better." He shot back defensively, leaning on the edge of the island.

"Never said I was, I also never denied being a psychopath, although I'm leaning more towards being a sociopath, but what's the real difference in the grand scheme of things?" She shrugged nonchalantly before dropping the side of her face onto the tabletop. She poised her fingertips against it too and wiggled her index finger, clearly bored with the conversation now, her thoughts instantly going back to Derek, and Boyd. She watched almost amusedly as she made her digits dance, only stopping when he smashed his fist against her hand, easily breaking her fingers with little effort.

No noise escaped her throat; she barely even moved a muscle now as her eyes were glued on her mangled fingers. When she lifted her head up, her glare was intense and her lips were pressed together tightly. She wasn't going to stand down now, not after the day she had.

"What the fuck did you do that for?" She asked, taking her non-injured hand and setting her broken fingers back into place as if it were a normal, every day occurrence. She watched her extremities as they slowly began to heel.

"Just remember where your place is." He growled back at her.

"You have some fucked up ideas of foreplay in your head don't you? God, you can't just go around breaking peoples fingers because they say something you don't _appreciate_. If I went around breaking bones every time someone insulted me, I could keep every hospital within a five-mile radius in business." She paused, wiggled her nearly heeled fingers and narrowed her gaze on him. "You know, not only are you psychopathic, you're just plain mean."

"You think I care about your opinion?" He countered, letting out a scoff.

"Honestly, probably not but if you ever, _ever_, break another bone in my body, ever again, I'll rip your kneecaps out and shove them through your eye sockets." She flashed him a devilish grin. "Got it?"

"Your threats don't scare me."

"Not a threat Peter, it's a god damn promise and if you want to check my references on the matter, there's an Omega buried somewhere in Colorado who can vouch for my methods. His agonizing screams would seem to mean that it was a rather painful endeavour."

He studied her stone cold expression, still not completely convinced she'd ever lay her hands on him to cause bodily harm, yet he didn't totally trust that she wouldn't either. Slowly his lips pulled upwards and a small smile grew on his face. Leaning forward even more, he took her hands in his, fingers completely healed now, and held them gently, raising them upwards and placing a chaste kiss on each finger that he had broken.

She relaxed on the stool and took note of the glint in his gaze. He held her hand tightly and leaned even further across the island countertop. Sydney moved to meet him part way and let the events of the night flee her mind for the time being. She wasn't going to sulk about it for too long, not when Peter clearly had something for her to ask him about and it was all laid out in front of him.

"You know, I'm starting to like it when you speak with such vulgarity." He murmured and she rolled her eyes at him, her hand staying right within his grasp. "It's rather reassuring."

"Perv." She muttered but couldn't help the amused grin spreading across her cheeks.

"I hope the day wasn't a total write off." He baited.

"Well I learned about telluric currents." She stated and let her eyes fall to the map, the elegant curves she had seen earlier were on his map too. "But I'm guessing you probably could have taught me the same things."

"Perhaps."

"The circles are new though, I didn't learn anything like that today."

He slowly released her hand and straightened up, letting his palms run over the pattern. She watched with intensity as he traced the circles with his index finger, stopping after he had traced each circle once. Sydney stood up off the stool and traipsed around the island, moving to stand beside him.

He leaned back and she slipped in between his body and the island, her back pressed firmly against his front. Her arm moved up into the air and he snaked his arm around her, holding her in place while he looked over her shoulder at the circular pattern.

"Celtic five fold knot." He murmured, his breath on the side of her neck was warm as he leaned his head down.

"What does it mean?"

"It _could_ mean a lot of things."

"Okay but why is it relevant to you?"

She couldn't help but melt against him as he leaned closer to the island, grabbing a discarded pen off to the side before poising it over the papers. In one of the circles he wrote the word virgins. She tensed slightly in his grasp but continued to watch in awe as he wrote in the next circle, the word warriors.

"You know more than you let on." She whispered and he filled the next circle with the word healers.

"Sydney I _always_ know more than I let on." He scrawled the word philosophers in the fourth circle and hesitated, placing a gentle kiss on her shoulder.

"So why don't you just put guardians in the last circle already."

His head snapped upwards and he looked at the side of her head. She turned to meet his curious gaze and stifled back a snicker as he did just as she suggested, quickly scratching the word into the centre circle.

"How did you know?"

"A lady never reveals her secrets." She tutted and twisted against him so that she faced him now, the edge of the counter digging into her lower back as he pushed his body against hers.

"You're an intriguing woman."

"I'm aware." She nodded and took her bottom lip between her teeth.

"But I bet you don't know what's actually the cause behind the sacrifices?"

"No but I'm sure you're going to tell me."

"It's called a Darach. Very much a druid who went down the wrong path, so to speak."

"Okay, do you know _who _it is?" She asked softly, running her fingers along the collar of his shirt.

"I do."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"You wouldn't know her."

"So tell me anyways, maybe you have a picture?" She teased, drumming her fingertips against the side of his neck.

"She's an English teacher, at the high school."

"Does _she _have a name?"

"Jennifer, Jennifer Blake."

"But sadly no picture?"

"No."

Sydney felt his hands grab harshly at her hips, holding her steady in front of him. She met his piercing gaze but let out a soft sigh.

"Can I see your phone for a second?" She asked brightly and grinned at him.

He let out a sigh of his own but swiftly reached around and pulled his cell phone out of the back pocket on his jeans. She took hold of it and scrolled through the contacts in his list, landing on the one she wanted. Hitting the call button, she lifted the phone to her ear and waited for the person to answer.

Peter cocked his head to the side in curiosity as he, too, listened to the phone ringing. When the familiar voice picked up, Sydney couldn't help but feel slightly happy.

"Oh hey Stiles." She cooed and felt the remaining hand on her hip squeeze tighter.

"Sydney, hey, what's up?"

"That woman, the one with Isaac tonight, who was she?"

"Derek's new girlfriend."

"Girlfriend, really?" Sydney's voice sounded nothing short of skeptical, wondering how her very unromantic friend could land anyone, let alone a not-too-ugly woman like the one in the loft.

"Yeah, why, you jealous?" He teased and Peter narrowed his eyes on her too, wanting to know the answer as well.

"First if all, Derek's just my best friend-"

"If that's what you think."

"Second of all, if I were interested in Derek, there wouldn't be a single thing stopping that from happening."

Peter leaned forward and nipped at the side of her neck gently. Sydney pressed her hand against his chest and forced him away, knowing all too well that his little nibble was merely to show her who she was currently with.

"Syd, you are something else." Stiles let out an amused chuckle. "But I bet you don't have a good reason for calling me, just to ask who some girl was in Derek's loft, unless you're jealous."

"Because she's a stranger, I don't trust strangers and as Derek's best friend, I feel compelled to protect him from-"

"From love Sydney? Happiness maybe?"

"Getting screwed over." She growled and tensed as the wolf in front of her smirked at her.

"She's just an English teacher Sydney, harmless if you ask me."

"Well no, English teacher's are certifiably crazy!" She shot back.

Peter fought off the urge to laugh at her, grasping desperately at straws as she tried to defend her own actions. She wasn't jealous, he knew that much. Her scent wasn't off or anything, she smelled as she should, deliciously like Sydney, not jealous Sydney, not even aroused Sydney.

"Okay-"

"What's her name?" She threw out, not realizing until it was too late how jealous she _sounded_, but she wasn't, it was simply a plea to confirm what she had been suspecting.

"And you're totally not jealous, right?" Stiles teased, and she could hear the sarcasm lacing his tone.

"You going to tell me or not?"

"Jennifer Blake." He sighed. "And if you want to know what I think-"

"About what?"

"You can do a lot better than Derek, you know that right?"

"Um," She paused and glanced at Peter, wondering if he _was _an improvement in comparison to Derek, but then she shook her head. She wasn't jealous, she had never been interested in Derek that way, and she never would. "Whatever, we've gotten way off topic here, thanks for your help in ending my curiosity."

She threw a chuckle out, trying to get Stiles to believe she was simply trying to get an answer that would help her figure out who the strange woman was in the loft.

"Yeah, no problem, and thanks again for your offer tonight."

"It's no big deal." She replied lowly and shied away from Peter's interrogatory gaze.

"If you say so."

"Goodbye Stiles." She breathed out and didn't even bother to wait for a response. She hung up on the kid and handed the phone back to Peter, who took it and tossed it against the island top, Sydney flinching at the loud thud it made.

He leaned down and set his hands on the island, caging her body between his limbs. She tensed under his gaze but didn't make a move to free herself. She wasn't going to fight back, there wasn't anywhere for her to run to. She was going to have to let him in on her little offer.

"What could you possibly have offered that boy?"

"I told him I'd do my best to make sure nothing happened to his dad."

He shook his head at her but pushed himself away from the island, freeing her from his temporary prison. She let out a breath of relief but remained against the edge, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Such a noble woman."

"I have a soft spot for the kid."

"He could have been in my pack."

"What?"

Peter wandered around and dropped down to the stool, looking at her. She twisted her head around and looked back at him. This was a new story, something she hadn't heard before. No one had ever mentioned that Stiles could have been part of Peter's pack, not even the boy himself.

"Not too long before he set me on fire, I offered him the bite."

"And he said no." She nodded, knowing very well that the boy was all human.

"He did."

"And you just let him walk away?"

"I did."

"Because you knew he'd be useful later on?"

"Because there's something about him."

Sydney took in the curious look on his face, almost as though thinking about the teenager brought up some wonderful fantasies. It didn't take much to see that Stiles was certainly a special person, he was very observant, terrifyingly intelligent and stupidly brave.

Twisting her body all the way around, she faced him straight on now and cleared her throat, bringing his attention back to her.

"Does he give you a hard on or something? Got a soft spot for the puny human?" She teased, but couldn't help but agree with Peter, there was something about Stiles Stilinski.

"Why I continue to put up with you is beyond me." He shot back.

"It's because I'm an exceptional woman." She purred, echoing his words from days earlier.

He didn't have to love her, she knew he'd be a hard person to crack on that front but she knew that he cared about her, the slightest little bit, and it was starting to become obvious that he cared more about her and less about her role in their plan.

**_Review?_**


	15. Chapter 15

_**Author's Note:**_

_****__****__**I can't even begin to thank everyone enough! The reception of this story has just been amazing and everyone always just has such kind words to say! It makes me happy that you guys like this story as much as you do!**_

_**Many thanks goes out to those of you who have recently added this story to their alerts and favourites and those of you who took the time to read it! Don't be afraid to leave me a review, good or bad, I appreciate all different kinds of feedback (what you like, what you hate, etc). I**__**f any of you have any questions, concerns or anything really, feel free to leave it in a review or you can always PM me, don't be shy. **_

_**Huge thanks to the people who messaged me on tumblr regarding this story! Your words are too kind and I hope you all continue to read and enjoy!**_

_****__**Special thanks to poorxbrokexcollegexkid, who took the time to review! **_

_**The Last of Us**_

_Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.**

**Chapter 15:**

Sydney had made herself at home in the loft already. Peter had left her on the main level and headed up the spiral staircase to check out Derek's room, searching for clues, or so he claimed. She wasn't entirely sure what he was really doing upstairs but she didn't want to tag along and give Stiles any ideas. No, the human boy was becoming a liability and she knew damn well that he wouldn't keep much secret from Derek, or the Hale pack, especially where Peter was concerned.

Curling her limbs closer to her body she slouched down against the couch and looked up at the ceiling, catching part of the story Cora was telling Stiles. The two of them were in the middle of the loft, Stiles standing on the floor, Cora sitting at the table.

"They were there for two days, waiting, hiding. That's what we're taught to do when the hunters find us, hide and heal." Cora explained and Sydney could vaguely remember hearing the words of her mother. _If you're ever in trouble, find a Hale. If you can't find a Hale, hide, and wait._

"Okay, so is two days standard, then, or are we thinking Derek's on, like, some extended getaway?" Stiles asked, glancing between the two females, Sydney tearing her eyes away from the ceiling to meet the boy's curious gaze.

"Why are you here?" Sydney asked, cocking her head to the side.

"To talk to Derek."

"Yeah well, he's obviously not here so?"

"Why do you care?" Cora asked Stiles, meeting Sydney's piercing gaze, the two females clearly feeling protective of the man in question.

"Why do I care? Let's see because over the last few weeks, my best friend tried to kill himself, his boss nearly got ritually sacrificed, a girl that I've known since I was three _was_ ritually sacrificed, Boyd was killed by alphas, do you want me to keep going? 'Cause I can, all right? For, like, an hour." Stiles answered without skipping a beat. He waved his hands in the air for emphasis and readied himself for an argument.

"You think Derek can do anything about that?" Cora inquired and Sydney straightened up on the couch, waiting for any kind of signal from Cora suggesting she needed her backup against the human. He was no match for them physically but Sydney knew not to underestimate his intelligence. He had survived this long without any special werewolf abilities; he would no doubt continue to thrive in their world based on his intellect alone.

"Pretty sure you put your eggs in the wrong alpha basket on this one." Sydney stated, wanting Derek to step up, but she knew him too well.

"What other 'alpha' basket do I have?" Stiles looked at Sydney with a glare but shook his head at her, ignoring her presence for the moment. "Anyway, since he's the one everyone seems to be after, it's more like he _should_ do something about it, yeah." Stiles pointed out and Sydney couldn't help but agree with him a little bit. Derek was supposedly the reason the alphas were here, the alphas seemed to have drawn the Darach to the town, by association, Derek was at the centre of everything and he should be present in the loft, teaming up with anyone who was willing to help him.

"I don't know. There's something different about him now. He wasn't like this when we knew him." Cora's voice softened at the thought of Derek changing.

"You're right, he's different now." Sydney agreed, flashes of her childhood friend Derek chasing her through the woods, throwing his head back in laughter, not a care in the world.

When she had left Beacon Hills, he had been saddened by her absence, they often spoke to each other for the first few years she was gone too, by phone, letters in the mail, anything she could get her hands on. It was when she was around fourteen that the letters stopped altogether and the phone calls were few and far between, even when she could get him on the line, he seemed rather distant.

Finally making her presence back in Beacon Hills at age sixteen, Derek had been less than thrilled, wondering right off the bat why she had come back. It was a long fought battle of him insisting she leave again before she did give up and left once again, only to return most recently, just in time to meet Erica and Boyd before the two of them were taken.

"What was he like?" Stiles asked curiously, studying Sydney's expression. She was clearly deep in thought, and he wondered what she could possibly be thinking about that would make a person look so desperate.

"A lot like Scott, actually." Peter's voice sounded out in the loft now and she jerked her head to watch the older Hale as he descended the stairs. "A lot like most teenagers, unbearably romantic, profoundly narcissistic, and tolerable really only to other teenagers."

"And so what happened? What changed him?" Stiles seemed to be the only one with a voice now.

Sydney was still somewhat lost in her own thoughts, wondering if she could have changed the way Derek turned out had she fought harder to stay in Beacon Hills. She had two opportunities; the first when her parents had been killed and she had left to live with her grandparents in Colorado. Maybe if she had found a way to stay in Beacon Hills, perhaps sidling up with the Hales until she was old enough to take care of herself. When she was a teenager, she could have argued back against Derek, maybe even kicked his butt a little bit but he was adamant on not wanting her around and so, like a kicked puppy, she left with her tail tucked between her legs, hoping one day she'd figure out where she belonged.

Maybe she had found her place now, maybe it was next to Peter Hale. When she pushed the memories to the back of her mind, her gaze was drawn to her best friend's uncle as he wandered further into the main room of the loft.

"Well, the same thing that changes a lot of young men," he paused and shot a glance towards Sydney who met his gaze easily, "a girl."

Surely she would have heard about this 'girl' who changed Derek. Maybe the look Peter gave her was to insinuate that the girl in question was Sydney. Was there some sort of unrequited love there, had Derek felt more for her than just friendship?

"A girl like Sydney over there?" Stiles questioned, everyone's piercing gaze now on her. She shifted uncomfortably under their scrutiny, the looks giving off an accusing vibe.

"Not her." Peter let out a groan and rolled his eyes and even though she was relieved, she was also rather offended now.

"I have life changing capabilities." She shot back. "I'm not _just_ a girl."

"I'm sure you're not." Peter drawled.

"Wait up, you're really telling me some girl broke his little heart? That's why Derek is the way he is?" Stiles stepped in between Sydney and Peter, hoping to get to the bottom of Derek's absence. Sydney was very good at getting off topic and Peter seemed to have no problem letting her, Stiles didn't have the time to deal with their usual behaviour. No, he needed to know and he needed to know now.

"Do you remember Derek before he was an alpha? Had blue eyes? Do you know why some wolves have blue eyes?" Peter asked right back, peeling his eyes off Sydney. She knew the answer, Cora should have known the answer but the measly human, undoubtedly did not.

"I just always thought it was, like, a genetic thing." He confessed.

"Surprisingly, werewolf eye colour is not genetic." Sydney stated without thinking. Stiles looked at her, wondering how reliable the girl could be. She was aligned with Peter Hale; a man Stiles had helped kill once before, a man he would never fully trust, no matter what the man did to prove himself. At the same time, Derek had never said a bad thing about her to him. Derek never actually said much about her at all, but nothing bad.

"If you want to know what changed Derek, you need to know what changed the colour of his eyes." Peter explained vaguely and Sydney instantly wondered what innocent person Derek had killed in order to earn the blue eyes.

She hadn't ever pushed the issue, knowing exactly how she would react if the situation was reversed. Cornering a dangerous werewolf about personal experiences was not something Sydney was fond of, especially if the wolf in question had once been her best friend and someone she was desperately trying not to piss off.

Her eyes never left Peter's form as he wandered across the loft and seated himself on the end of the couch opposite to Sydney. She twisted her body to face him, flashing him a glare before letting out a huff. She rolled her shoulders and listened intently as the man at the other end of the couch continued his story.

Letting her mind drift once again back to when she was a teenager, she found herself no longer paying attention to Peter's words. She blinked her eyes shut and recalled a particular time, she had followed Derek into the middle of the woods, to a giant tree stump. She had remained hidden from view, her eyes glued to him as he wandered into a set of worn out wooden doors and disappeared into the underbelly of the forest floor.

When she broke herself out of her reverie, Stiles was looking at her curiously, most likely wondering what her connection was to the Hales. Yes, everyone in the loft knew she had been Derek's best friend, but not all of them knew how she came to hold the position.

"Okay, so if Derek was a sophomore back then, how old was he? How old were you? How old are you now?" Stiles asked and turned his attention, locking his eyes on Peter.

Sydney followed the human's gaze and watched Peter closely. He was way too comfortable in the cushions of the couch for her liking, he was Derek's uncle, he should be more concerned with locating the missing alpha, not telling his niece and the intrusive human about Derek's teenage crush.

"Not as young as we could have been, but not as old as you might think." Peter answered and Sydney fought off the urge to scoff. The kid just wanted a simple answer and, true to the Peter Hale way, he wasn't going to get it that easily.

"Okay, that was frustratingly vague. How old are you?" Stiles asked, looking to Cora.

"I'm seventeen." Cora answered and Stiles' turned to look directly at Sydney, she already knew the question.

"Twenty-four." Sydney nodded firmly, tossing Stiles a small smile.

"See, those are answers. That's how we answer people." The human boy again looked in Peter's direction but Cora's voice broke into his train of thought.

"Well, seventeen in how you'd measure in years." Cora added quickly and Sydney rolled her eyes. She was most definitely a Hale.

"All right, I'm just going to drop it." Stiles let out a small huff. "What happened to Derek and the cello girl?"

"What do you think happened? They were teenagers. One minute, its, 'I hate you, don't talk to me' the next, it's frantic groping in any dark corner they could manage to find themselves alone in for five minutes. Their favourite dark corner was an abandoned distillery outside of Beacon Hills."

"Sexy time in a distillery, Jesus. Derek Hale, romantic extraordinaire strikes again." Sydney scoffed, wondering if her childhood best friend had any real game at all.

"All right, hold up. How do you know all this? You just said that they were alone." Stiles pointed out, but Sydney wasn't fazed by Peter's admission. He was a sneaky, conniving person, there was no doubt that he'd followed Derek at the time, especially if there was something in it for him.

"Back then; I wasn't just Derek's uncle, I was his best friend, his closest confidante. That's how I know."

"That's funny because _I _was also Derek's best friend." Sydney's voice cut in, tossing a curious glance in Peter's direction. The look he was giving her suggested he wanted nothing more than for Sydney to keep her mouth shut and listen to his story. She wasn't having any of it, especially after the incident involving him breaking her fingers. Payback was a bitch sometimes.

"You weren't in Beacon Hills at the time."

"I figured that much out, but still, he barely mentioned you when we were teenagers, if you were _such_ a good best friend, why didn't Derek talk about you to me?"

"Perhaps he didn't trust you." Peter shot back with a sly smirk.

Scoffing at his answer, Sydney shook her head at him and looked towards the window. She knew she wasn't in Beacon Hills at the time, she hadn't exactly made it back to the small town from Colorado yet, no, she would only end up back in town when she was sixteen, shortly after Derek's torrid love affair with the girl Stiles had so eloquently dubbed 'the cello girl'.

There was still something bugging her about his statement though. She had fallen right back into a friendship with Derek upon her arrival and yet the only times Peter's name ever came up in conversation was always right before he would warn her of some lame brain plan he was going to be a part of. There was a reason Derek had always tried to keep Sydney away from Peter and by default, she could only assume Derek's best friend at the time wasn't, in fact, his uncle.

"Derek always trusted me back then." Sydney muttered, reminiscing about her teenage years. Her and Derek were practically inseparable when she came back and no matter what was going on, both of them fully supported the other in whatever they wanted to do.

Peter rose to his feet and moseyed towards the table where the two teenagers were located. Sydney debated following his lead, not really wanting to be left alone on the couch, so far away from the conversation but at the same time, she didn't really feel like moving. She was sure the story Peter was telling wasn't entirely honest anyway.

"All the while Derek was running away from the darkest corners of the building, the alphas, all of them with their own, individual packs, gathered inside."

"What do you mean they were gathered there?" Stiles questioned, glancing at Sydney, maybe searching for some validation to Peter's statement.

"There was an incident involving the hunters and, well, needless to say an exceptionally powerful alpha lived right here, in Beacon Hills. She was somewhat of a leader, the kind of person that the packs would go to for advice and guidance." Peter explained, glancing at Cora. Sydney watched as the youngest Hale's eyes brightened. If Sydney knew the Hale family history, there was no doubt Cora did too and it was obvious whom he was referring too.

"My mother." Cora breathed out.

"Right." Peter nodded at her, suggesting he was somewhat proud of her knowledge. Sydney kept quiet, taking in the moment between the two. "The hunters had eviscerated one of Ennis' pack members, ripped his claws right out of his fingers."

Sydney curled her fingers inwards, making fists with her hands. She couldn't even begin to imagine the pain associated with torture like that. Chancing a look at Cora, she took note that her hands were balled into fists as well, neither female ignorant of the unimaginable hurt that went along with what the hunters had done.

"So what did Ennis do?" Cora questioned, swallowing the nervous lump in her throat.

"You've seen the wall of the distillery, haven't you?" He shot back and Cora nodded.

"What's so important about the wall?" Stiles asked, being the only non-werewolf in the loft, he was clearly behind on the history surrounding the Hale pack.

"Our mark for vendetta." Peter murmured as he drew the infamous spiral in the condensation on the large, loft window. Slowly making her way to her feet, Sydney wandered over to the table and hoisted herself up on it, sitting next to Stiles' elbows, which rested against the surface.

"Man, you guys really take that revenge thing to, like, a whole new level, don't you?" The human pondered, using his tone of disbelief to imply werewolves were overdramatic.

"It's not just revenge. Losing a member of your pack isn't like losing family, it's like you lose a limb."

"Really, a limb?" He pushed and Sydney glanced down at him, a sympathetic look on her face.

"There's certain bonds within packs, if someone dies, we all feel it." Sydney added, trying to help the boy out.

"Feel it, how?"

"Well, even though I was like a thousand miles away I _knew_ something was terribly wrong the night of the fire."

"So you sensed it?" Stiles asked, trying hard to understand what she was talking about.

"No, I felt it. My skin felt like it was melting off my bones even though there was nothing to suggest anything was wrong with me. Obviously when you think about it, it makes sense, I could literally feel my body burning just like those who died in that fire."

"So it was like you were _in_ the fire too?"

"Yes. Then when it was over, I couldn't hardly breathe and I had really bad chest pains, like I could feel their hearts giving out and the air being sucked from their lungs." Sydney nodded, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

She caught the worried look in Cora's eyes but shrugged it off. She hadn't exactly told anyone about the immense pain that night, but then again at the time she hadn't been able to figure out what it was and she barely had contact with Derek back in Beacon Hills. It wasn't until a few weeks later that she found out about the fire at the Hale house and the tally of the body count.

"Okay so assuming Ennis felt something similar, was it necessary that he bring the other packs into his war? I mean, lick your wounds, have a bit of ceremony for the beta-"

"They wouldn't even let him see the body." Peter broke in finally looking in Sydney's direction. She could see the sadness behind his eyes and her stomach clenched, knowing it was because she had mentioned the fire.

"I don't get it. What does this have to do with Derek?" Cora asked.

"Everything. It's never just a single moment; it's a confluence of events. Personally, I looked at Ennis' circumstances, I saw a profound loss, Derek saw something different, he saw opportunity."

"Opportunity? To do what?" Stiles asked and Sydney nodded along with him, wondering when the story would narrow in on Derek and his blue eyes.

"To always be with her."

When his eyes landed on Sydney, she couldn't help but wonder what exactly was going through his head. She knew that look, the one where he would stare at her like she was the most important thing in the world to him, but he'd never voice it. No, she only knew that look because she had seen it once before, from a boy in Colorado. She shook her head and dropped her gaze, hoping one day, maybe he'd say that he loved her back, but for now she'd settle for just being with Peter.

What if she threatened to leave though? Would he beg her to stay, would he even care? Her heart hurt a little bit at the thought of her packing up and walking out of his apartment without any fight from him, but a part of her expected that exact thing to happen. She loved him more than he loved her, it wasn't a secret, but yet she hoped somewhere, deep down, he'd be upset if she did leave.

"The thing was, he had this constant fear. He was obsessing over it, thinking about it all night, all day, always on his mind."

"You suggested that he turn her." Sydney nodded, knowing the exact feeling. She had debated the same thing, her circumstances were slightly different, but she knew how hard it was to be with someone who wasn't their kind. Her best friend had suffered from cancer for months before finally succumbing the disease. The entire time, Sydney had debated and searched out an alpha: Derek of course.

"On the contrary, I kept telling him not to do it. Every day the more he thought about it, the more convinced he became. You know teenagers; I bet he even blames me. He's probably convinced himself the whole thing was my idea."

"You're joking right, he wouldn't have been concerned about it if you hadn't said anything." Sydney argued, feeling like she should defend Derek, her best friend, who couldn't currently defend himself. "Derek's not a total idiot you know."

"The bite is a gift." Peter stated and Sydney fought off the urge to shake her head at him. It wasn't always a gift, she knew that much. Witnessing people who didn't make it through the change was something that was seared into her mind. She had seen her fair share of deaths and the kind that really stuck with her was the terrifying death of someone who didn't accept the bite.

"So what about the druids? How do the emissaries play a role in advising the packs?" Sydney questioned, trying to understand more about her supernatural history, hoping this little pow wow with Cora, Stiles and Peter would help her find some things out. Having not been around many wolf packs in her life outside of Beacon Hills, Sydney found herself lacking a certain knowledge about werewolf lineage.

"They keep us connected to humanity but they're a secret even in the pack. Sometimes only the Alpha knows who the emissary is. Derek and I had no idea about Deaton." Cora answered, having grown up with a perfect role model in the form of her mother.

"Or his sister, Morrell." Peter cut in and Sydney glanced at him, wondering how on earth he always seemed to know something everyone else didn't.

"She's an emissary too?" Stiles voiced his shock.

"For the Alpha pack."

"Our guidance counsellor? Why the hell don't you people tell me any of this stuff, huh? I shared some really intimate details with her."

"You haven't learned by now not to trust anyone, really?" Sydney looked at the human boy with a curious gaze.

"Wha-hey." Stiles shot back but made a face at Sydney's eye roll.

"Well, did she at least give you good advice?" Cora asked, ignoring the banter between Sydney and Stiles.

Throwing another look Sydney's way, Stiles answered the youngest Hale, "Actually, yeah."

"That's what they do." Peter settled his gaze on Sydney, wondering just how much she didn't know. "That's what Deaton used to do for Talia."

"Alright, so let's just recap here for a second. Ennis' beta was slaughtered, for lack of a better term, by the hunters, Derek didn't want his girlfriend to leave him, ever, so, putting two and two together, he went to the guy and asked him if he could turn his little lover into a werewolf?" Sydney asked, trying to maintain on track, for the most part.

She glanced at Stiles who shrugged; apparently the human seemed to understand the story so far. When she looked at Cora, the other female werewolf nodded her head. It was when she locked eyes with Peter that she felt the importance of his words weighing on her shoulders. It hadn't seemed relevant before but now, looking into the eyes of the one man she loved, she knew the story was another part of the plan.

"Wait though." Cora broke in and Sydney held Peter's gaze. "Ennis? Why would you choose him?"

"Why not? Ennis needed a new member for his pack, Paige was young and strong. Doing a favour for Derek meant Ennis would be in good with Talia. Back then, everybody wanted to be in good with her." Peter answered, still gazing at Sydney.

"He doesn't remember it was Ennis, does he?" Stiles asked, glancing between Sydney and Peter now. Cora followed the boy's gaze and studied Sydney's body now. Her arms were limp, hands resting on her thighs. She wasn't fidgeting like she normally did and Cora could easily sense the calm radiating off her body. It hadn't occurred to her until that moment that maybe her uncle had more control, more pull over Sydney than anyone could have imagined.

"If he does, he keeps it to himself." Peter replied, finally tearing his eyes off Sydney.

Once his gaze was off the young woman, Cora could pick up the slight tick in her heartbeat. Her fingers almost instantly started drumming lightly against her legs and she could _see_ the muscles in her arms tense up. Making a mental note to look into Sydney's background at a later date, she turned her attention back to the human boy who had yet another question in his seemingly endless list.

"So then what happened? Did he turn her?"

"Almost. He came at Ennis. A fifteen-year-old boy against a giant." Peter drawled, meeting both women's gazes. Both of them had come up against him, both of them _knew_ how competent the older man was. "There was no reason for him to fight. She'd already been bitten."

"So he got his ass kicked." Sydney sighed. She had yet to see a fight where Derek actually came out on top. Sydney pushed herself off the table and moved now to stand between Stiles and Cora, turning her head back and forth, waiting for someone to speak next. Her eyes landed on Cora when her voice sounded out.

"So did she turn?"

"She should have. Most of the time, the bite takes. Most of the time."

"When you offered it to me, you said, 'if it doesn't kill you'."

Leaning in towards Stiles, Sydney took a deep inhale and let his scent sink into her mind. She knew how intelligent the teenager was, she knew he was much more competent than anyone gave him credit for, and yet he had been offered the bite and turned it down. A newfound respect for the one who called himself Stiles grew. Sydney was impressed.

"If." Peter hesitated and focused his attention out the window, watching the rain drizzle down the glass. "When I went down into the root cellar, he was clutching her against his chest. He asked me what was happening to her, but, he knew the answer, though. It didn't matter that she was young and strong. Some people just aren't made for this. But she fought, she struggled desperately, trying to survive."

"The bite is a gift." Sydney murmured, trying to wrap her head around it all. Of course it was a gift to her, she didn't have to struggle to survive. She didn't have to fight the odds of either becoming a werewolf or dying. She was a lucky one, a lucky one who did, in fact, believe the bite was far from a gift.

If it weren't for her supernatural abilities, her mother and father would still be alive, her best friend's family wouldn't have all died in a fire and she wouldn't have had to grow up living with her grandparents. No doubt her life would have been completely different.

Peter settled on the steps just inside the loft door, Sydney moving around the table to sit behind him, far enough away that she wasn't anywhere near touching him. Stiles watched the two of them, Cora sensing the calmness in the woman yet again.

"I remember taking her body from his arms, to the woods, to a place where I knew that it would be found, another in a long line of Beacon Hills animal attacks."

"And what about Derek?" Cora seemed almost desperate to know, even though Sydney was completely aware that the reason Derek's eyes were now different was because of his teenage tragedy.

"Taking an innocent life takes something from you as well, a bit of your soul darkening it, dimming the once brilliant, golden yellow to a cold, steel blue." He looked up and met his niece's curious gaze with his vibrant blue eyes now. "Like mine."

Sydney shut her eyes momentarily and when she opened them up again, she could feel the icy blue of her own irises showing through. Stiles cocked his head to the side, not out of curiosity, but out of intrigue. So the girl sitting behind Peter Hale had taken an innocent life as well. His interest was piqued now.

Peter hauled himself up to his feet, walking between Stiles and Cora but leaving Sydney on the steps by herself. She continued to hold the human boy's attention, waiting for him to ask, like she knew he would.

"What's your story?" He finally pushed the words out and Sydney patted her palms against her thighs.

"Point form version; some guy tried to get fresh with me and I was having none of that." Sydney nodded, shifting onto her feet before standing upright.

"So you killed him?"

"You don't get to judge me for something you weren't around for." Her eyes narrowed in on Stiles and he took a step back.

"Yeah, there it is. You are definitely Derek's best friend." He nodded, running a hand through his hair anxiously.

Sydney let out a sigh but wandered past him, heading towards where Peter was, pulling on his jacket near the table. She closed the distance between them and went up on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. Knowing Cora could probably hear her, she kept it short and to the point, not saying anything that would give too much away, yet at the same time keeping the human boy in the dark, not wanting to give him _anything_.

Peter nodded as she dropped back down flat on her feet, setting his hand on the small of her back and ushering her towards the loft door. She dropped her gaze to the floor and crossed her arms over her chest and moved just in front of him.

Stiles watched the two of them go, only moving his eyes to Cora when the door shut behind them. She looked back at him and planted her hands on her hips.

"Do you get the feeling there's something going on between them?" Stiles questioned, throwing his head back and looking at the ceiling.

"I don't know, I mean I always thought her and Derek would end up together."

"Yeah but he has a girl now."

"When my uncle even looked at her, I could sense her."

"Sense her?"

Stiles turned on his heel and took a few steps towards the steps, flopping down to sit. Cora followed his lead and rested her elbows on her knees, her eyes focused on the floor.

"She gave off this vibe, like she was completely and utterly relaxed just from a look, you know?"

"So you see it too, there's definitely something going on there?"

"Yeah, yeah there's definitely _something_."

**_What'd you guys think?_**


	16. Chapter 16

_**Author's Note:**_

_****__****__**God such positive feedback continuing to come in over this story! Seriously guys, you make my day! I can't even begin to express how thankful I am to have such kind and loyal readers! Everyone is just amazing, thank you so much! **_

_**Many thanks goes out to those of you who have recently added this story to their alerts and favourites and those of you who took the time to read it! Don't be afraid to leave me a review, good or bad, I appreciate all different kinds of feedback (what you like, what you hate, etc). I**__**f any of you have any questions, concerns or anything really, feel free to leave it in a review or you can always PM me, don't be shy. **_

_****__**Special thanks to poorxbrokexcollegexkid (Stiles is dangerously brilliant) and WrittenPhoto (you made me smile at the Disney comment) who took the time to review! **_

_****__**Well I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter and your reviews are always welcome!**_

_**The Last of Us**_

_Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.**

**Chapter 16:**

Sydney had left Peter in the kitchen alone now as she wandered into the bathroom in only her underwear and one of his t-shirts. She gently shut the door behind her as she crossed over the threshold, moving her hands to the bottom of the shirt and lifting it up and over her head with ease. Tossing it against the towel rack, she let out a sigh as she watched the shirt land on one of the towels hanging there.

She slid her underwear over her hips and down her legs, the skimpy piece of material falling to the floor where she promptly stepped out of them and moved closer to the shower, bending over to turn the tap on, first the hot handle then the cold, making the water warm.

She pulled the curtain across after pulling the small lever for the showerhead to work. Her eyes caught her reflection in the mirror and she let out a small groan. Her hair was somewhat of a mess, had she known what it looked like, she would have foregone the flirty banter with Peter just minutes ago in the kitchen. Her eyes looked tired, that was something new. She couldn't remember a time when her eyes lacked a certain sparkle, a certain liveliness in the pupils, yet she found herself looking into her very own dull, nearly hollow eyes.

Her neck was still injured, his shallow teeth marks still very evident at the hollow where her neck met shoulder, dried blood still caked to the puncture wounds. Something wasn't right. A simple, shallow bite like the one Peter had given her should have been healed by now, yet when she pressed her fingertips into the tender flesh, it pained her.

"Weird." She muttered, examining the rest of her face in more depth.

Her features seemed to be in order for the most part, minus the tired eyes and the bite on her collarbone. Brushing her concern to the side for now, she turned on her heel and stepped across the bathroom, lifting her leg up and over the edge of the tub and climbing into the shower.

The water rained down on her, it wasn't exactly the perfect temperature, a little hotter than she anticipated but still soothing nonetheless.

She took a deep breath and let out a whimper at the falter in the functioning of her lungs. Clearing her throat, she regulated her breaths again, her heart picking up its pace the slightest bit at the abnormal sensation she had experienced.

When she tried to take another deep breath, it got stuck in her throat and she struggled to breathe for a few seconds until she focused all of her energy on getting air into her lungs.

Something was definitely wrong; she had never, ever had trouble breathing.

Sydney leaned into the shower wall, her hands going to her throat as she fought to breathe, nearly gasping for air. She slid her back down the wall until her bum was resting on the corner of the tub.

"Peter." She tried to yell out for him but her voice came out raspy and low.

Panic set in and her eyes widened at the thought of her dying in the shower. She leaned forward, hanging her head down, hoping she could calm herself enough to breathe easy once again. Taking a few ragged breaths, Sydney willed her voice to work this time but the wheezing didn't let up.

"P-Peter!" It wasn't by any means a yell, it wasn't powerful for a normal tone of voice but she prayed he heard her. Thank god for werewolf hearing.

She cleared her throat while she waited, giving him the chance to come to her rescue, the breaths still ragged. She nearly choked as she inhaled, a straggled snort emanating from her throat as she exhaled, the pain in her chest heightened.

"God dammit, Peter!"

Her entire body was shaking slightly, her lungs not filling fast enough with oxygen as she choked on nothing. What in the hell was happening to her? She couldn't be dying, maybe she had forgotten how to breathe. Sydney fought off the urge to cry and squeezed her eyes shut tight.

Her eyes opened wide and her whole body jerked at the sound of the door being thrown open. Seconds later the shower curtain was ripped right off its hooks, Peter's eyes landing on her naked body but immediately going to her face, her hands still grasping at her throat.

"Syd-"

"I can't breathe!" She wailed, panic very evident in her tone.

Peter turned around, grabbed one of the towels off the rack and held it out for her, watching carefully as she slowly made her way to her feet and climbed out of the shower. He wrapped the towel around her and held her against him, trying to gauge what was happening with her body.

"You're heartbeat is erratic." He stated, his hands running up and down her back, trying to calm her down.

Her gasps were something he had never heard before and something he'd be perfectly happy never hearing again. Werewolves rarely gasped for breath and, unless they were dying, there was no reason for the body to do so.

He pulled away from her and set his palms on top of her hands, pulling them away from her throat.

A small whimper escaped her throat, but Peter pressed on, tilting her chin upwards, opening her airway, and attempting to give oxygen an easier route to her body. She swallowed loudly but could feel the slightest bit of relief as air flowed into her lungs.

"My chest hurts." She tried to voice but she sounded more like a laryngitis sufferer than the usual bold and confident werewolf.

"Why?"

"I-I don't know."

He stepped away from her, his arm running over her shoulders, stopping and pressing into the small of her back. He gently pushed her towards the door, leading her out of the bathroom and towards the bedroom rather quickly. She held onto the towel for dear life, her knuckles white from the force. She was terrified, there had to be a reason that her chest hurt and she couldn't breathe but her mind reeled and she was coming up empty.

Peter motioned for her to sit on the edge of the bed as he lowered himself down on the bed next to her. She carefully rearranged the towel, watching as Peter grabbed hold of her discarded t-shirt from the night before. He handed it to her and nodded. She let go of the towel and pulled the t-shirt on, her damp skin causing the material to cling to her. Sydney reached out towards Peter and continued to breathe, but he could hear the rasps as she inhaled and exhaled.

"Do something." She whispered, pleading for him to help her.

"What's going on with your body?" He asked, more to himself as he tried to gain a firm understanding of what exactly was causing her erratic breathing.

"I don't know."

His eyes studied her, trying to figure out if any injuries could be the reason for her to struggle for air. There was the bite on her neck, a few bruises from his fingers but nothing that would cause her to be gasping for breath. He tore his gaze away from her, remembering what he overheard Stiles talking to Scott about. Yes, that kid, the one with the alpha twin, he had been rushed to the hospital with similar symptoms.

"Are you healing okay?" He asked, knowing that the boy's lung had collapsed, but if she were still able to heal, her lungs would be fine.

Without using words to answer, she pulled the neck of the t-shirt towards her shoulder, revealing the puncture wounds still evident in her neck. Peter's brows furrowed together, his fingers grazing the holes in her skin, confused as to why she wasn't healing.

He pushed her shoulders back, forcing her to lie down on the bed. Sydney's eyes watered up, she didn't want to die, not this easily, not without knowing why. Peter ran his finger under her chin, over her neck, hoping that if he relaxed her enough, she'd snap out of it. He knew what he had to do, someone had targeted the boy in the hospital, someone named Jennifer Blake.

"You stay here, try not to die."

Sydney didn't have the energy to snark back at him, she wasn't going to fight, or argue, instead, she let her body relax into the sheets, barely even paying attention as he wandered out of the room and ultimately out of the apartment.

Within a few minutes, she gave in to her body and surrendered to the blackness.

**_XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX_**

The few lingering bodies in the hall barely paid him any attention as he continued to follow the woman's scent. It hadn't been terribly hard for him to figure it all out, he was Peter Hale after all, nothing was terribly hard for him. Well, nothing except figuring out what the girl currently dying in his apartment really meant to him. Shaking the mental image of her lying dead in his bed out of his mind, he pressed forward, the smell of the Darach increasing the closer he got.

Turning into the nearly vacant classroom, he grabbed the edge of the door and quickly, quietly, shut it behind him, leaning against it. His focus was on the woman's back, she either hadn't noticed him or more likely she couldn't be bothered to give him the satisfaction of being intimidated by him. Seconds later, she lazily turned to face him, the devilish glint in her eyes so very obvious.

"You." She accused, crossing her arms over her chest and taking one commanding step towards him.

"Rumour has it you're not just sacrificing anymore, you're eliminating threats now too." He remarked, pushing off the door, stalking towards her.

She followed his movements to the tee, craning her neck as he circled her, his eyes stuck on her.

"I'm not entirely sure what you're getting at here." She scoffed, but held her stance, not moving a muscle.

"Don't play dumb now. You don't need to take the girl."

Peter thanked god the woman wasn't a werewolf, the steady pounding of his own heartbeat at the thought of losing Sydney so easily would give everything away. No, this teacher, this supernatural, magical being didn't need to know the real importance of the woman in question.

"You mean Derek's girl? Sydney? Is that her name?" Jennifer Blake asked, a tone suggesting she didn't care even if she had gotten her name wrong. "Of course I need to take her, she's the biggest threat there is."

Peter came to a stop in front of her, glaring down at the woman. She uncrossed her arms and instead planted her palms against her hips, cocking her head to the side, thoroughly entertained at the possibilities of what he was going to say.

"To you? She's not a threat to you. Her and Derek are nothing." He was trying desperately not to just lunge at her, hold her delicate throat between his claws. The threat of taking her life was residing on the tip of his tongue but he remained focused.

"After what I saw the other day, she is obviously a very real threat."

"Not to you!" He boomed at her, taking a step back, stopping himself before he shifted. "She's nothing to Derek! Nothing! She's my-"

The word girlfriend got caught in his throat and he pushed the idea to the back of his mind. Sydney wasn't his girlfriend, but that didn't mean he didn't want her to be. She meant way more to him than she would ever know and to let the teacher in front of him know that, well that was something he wasn't going to do. He shook his head at her and she raised a brow, curious to what he was going to say before he caught himself.

"She's your what?" Jennifer Blake asked calmly, too calmly for Peter's liking.

With a low growl, he answered with two simple words, giving a vague enough statement so that the Darach could take it however she wanted.

"She's mine."

"She needs to die."

"She's not going to get in the way of your sacrificing. Let her live."

Miss Jennifer Blake took her turn and moved to circle around Peter, taking in the sight of him. She ran her hand over his shoulder, easily feeling the tension there. She stopped behind him and pressed her palms against his back, letting him know that she was the one in control of the situation. There was definitely a little bit of heat radiating off her hands, he could feel the burning sensation against his skin and knew he had to do whatever it took to get Sydney's life back.

"You want me to just let her live? What's the fun in that? Surely you didn't expect me to let her go out of the goodness of my own heart."

"What do you want?"

"You mean besides the elimination of one very threatening woman? You give me Scott McCall's mother, _when_ I need her."

Jerking forward, away from her searing hands, he twisted around and faced her now, the electric blue of his eyes glowing. She stared at him, her hands still in front of her, ready to fight him off if he decided to charge. Peter rolled his shoulders back and relaxed his stance, meeting her gaze directly.

"Done," He breathed out, "now let her go."

With a nod of her head, the woman in front of him reached back and opened the door, motioning for him to get out of her classroom. With one last look at the homicidal woman, Peter walked out, holding on to the belief that Sydney would still be breathing when he got back home.

**_XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX_**

Trusting people to do what they said wasn't something Peter had a lot of confidence in but he had made his offer to the woman, the Darach, and she had stated that in return for his cooperation, she'd let Sydney live. He hated playing his hand earlier than he had planned but the girl in his bed was dying and he couldn't figure out how to fix her.

She was a vital part for his end game, if she died, his plan would require major reworking, and that was something he didn't want to have to do. It didn't help that she had looked so pitiful, staring up at him with her big brown eyes full of tears. He wasn't going soft, he couldn't be. She wasn't anything more to him than a tool for him to get what he ultimately wanted, but yet he knew she meant so much more.

Peter straightened his back as he wandered through the hallway, quickly closing in on his apartment door. He listened in, trying to see if she was up and mobile but there wasn't a single sound coming from his place. He focused harder and tried to tune into her heartbeat but couldn't pinpoint it within the building. He heard stronger, faster heartbeats from all around him, none of which he had come to know as Sydney's.

Taking a deep breath and preparing for the worst, a dead werewolf girl in his bed, Peter pushed the door open and stepped inside. He picked up his pace and headed for the bedroom, wandering through the open door and instantly letting out a breath of relief.

He could hear her breathing easy now, a pillow muffling her soft snores. A smirk pulled at his lips as his eyes grazed over her bare bottom, her t-shirt bunched up around her hips and the covers thrown off the bed. Slowly he crossed the floor and sat down beside her on his bed, his arms crossed over his chest as he continued to look at her. Curiosity got the better of him and he uncrossed his arms instantly, moving his right hand towards her previously bitten shoulder.

She let out a soft groan as he tugged on the neck of her t-shirt, his eyes scanning her skin looking for any sign of what was once there.

"Go away." She grumbled, her hold on the pillow tightening.

"Nap time is over."

She rolled onto her side and shoved the pillow under her body, finally opening her eyes. He watched her move, her one arm stretching up towards her face, her palm rubbing against her cheek as she let out a yawn.

"I'm fixed?" She asked shyly, wanting nothing more than to shut her eyes again.

Peter took note of the tired expression on her face but pressed his fingers into her hip, reminding her that she wasn't wearing anything more than a shirt. Letting out an embarrassed squeal, Sydney darted upright and grabbed at the covers, successfully pulling them up to her torso.

"You're _fixed_." He murmured at her, a devious glint in his eyes, knowing she was bare beneath the covers.

"_You_ fixed me?"

"I did." He nodded with a smirk.

"But how?"

"Don't worry dear Sydney, all in a day's work."

She took her lip in between her teeth and debated her next move. He had saved her from a terrifying, painful death. She wasn't sure how he had done it, or even why but he had. She shifted under the sheets and moved closer to him, he turned his body to face hers and let out a scoff as her forehead dropped against his shoulder.

"Thank you."

Peter tangled his fingers in her hair, resting his chin on the top of her head. She relaxed against him. Before he could think too much about what he was doing, he pressed a kiss to the side of her head, quickly moving away from her and standing up, realizing what his actions may suggest to her.

She looked up at him but nodded, understanding now that she was supposed to pretend nothing had ever happened. It was simply a heat of the moment reaction, he was thankful she hadn't died. She would be the only other person besides Peter Hale who would know that he was the reason she could breathe easy again.

"So, are you going to join me under these covers or are you going to stand there all night?"

"I may need a little persuasion."

Rolling her eyes at him, Sydney collapsed back into the bed, a sly smirk beaming up at him. He rolled his shoulders before leaning over, placing his arms on either side of her before crawling onto the bed, straddling her.

Her arms snaked around his back and she jerked him forward, his body colliding with hers. A squeal of delight sounded out of her throat as he nuzzled his nose against the side of her neck. Sydney took a deep breath and smiled at the ability to breath normally once again and it was all thanks to the devious man on top of her

**_Hey a little look into Peter's feelings, what did you guys think?_**


	17. Chapter 17

_**Author's Note:**_

_****__****__**Huge thank yous to everyone who took the time to review as well as those of you who have this story on their favourites and alerts! I can't even begin to express how thankful I am to have such kind and loyal readers! Everyone is just amazing, thank you so much! **_

_**Once again, don't be afraid to leave me a review, good or bad, I appreciate all different kinds of feedback (what you like, what you hate, etc). I**__**f any of you have any questions, concerns or anything really, feel free to leave it in a review or you can always PM me, don't be shy. **_

_****__**Special thanks to Wickedly Minx (Yes they're both alphas and not to worry, it won't be a secret forever), poorxbrokexcollegexkid (You're words are too kind and yes, Maury is not the direction that Teen Wolf should be going), AeydenOrion (I'm so glad you're enjoying this story) and Maddie (Peter's definitely going to have to say SOMETHING to Sydney soon about how he feels, you'll just have to read and find out)! **_

_****__**Well I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter and your reviews are always welcome!**_

_**The Last of Us**_

_Summary: Sydney didn't know what was in store for her when she knocked on his door but she knew why she was there. With no one left to turn to, would he be her hero or would she ultimately become the villain she could only dream about._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf, Sydney however is all mine.**

**Chapter 17:**

She had been lying on the couch with her eyes shut just trying to relax, enjoying the ability to breathe easy. She wasn't entirely sure where in the apartment Peter was, the last she saw of him before she shut her eyes, he was in the kitchen, standing at the counter as he prepared a sandwich, or something, for lunch. She knew he was out in the main part of the apartment but his exact location, she wasn't sure of, not that it mattered.

Her arms rested lazily across her abdomen, her fingers every so often moving to scratch at the skin underneath her navy blue t-shirt. She let out a sigh and curled her legs up closer to her body, trying to steal the remaining bit of sun that was seeping through the window just a few feet away. The rays were warm on her body and as they slowly disappeared, with the sunset, she found the chill in the remainder of the room was bothering her.

"You're welcome to go lay down on the bed you know?"

Sydney's only reply to his words came in the form of a loud groan. She pressed her cheek against the couch cushion and stuffed her arms underneath her body, leaving herself curled into the tightest ball she could muster.

Wandering towards the couch now, Peter couldn't help himself. He let out an amused chuckle at the balled up female curled up on his couch, her eyes shut, face half covered by couch and neither of her arms visible.

"I promise you, it'll be warmer in bed." He teased and wandered around the couch, squatting down in front of it, his face near hers now as he set a comforting hand on her hip.

"That involves moving." She whined and twisted her body slightly so that she could move her arms, extending them towards him.

Peter dropped his legs to the ground and moved his body so that he was sitting on the floor in front of the couch, his back pressed against the piece of furniture and his legs extending out into the living room. Sydney bent her body at the waist and shifted her head, resting her chin against his shoulder. When her arm snaked around and laid over his other shoulder, she let out another sigh.

"I could carry you." He offered with a smirk.

"I think I'm more bored than anything." She said, her voice coming out barely louder than a whisper.

"Is there something you'd like to do?"

"I don't know, I just keep thinking of that damn root cellar-"

"The Nemeton?"

"Yeah, I've definitely been there before, on more than one occasion."

"Do you think you could find it?"

Sydney sighed for a third time and her entire body tensed as he turned around, pulling away from her. She followed his lead and sat up on the couch, tucking her legs under her butt and crossing her arms over her chest. Peter stood up and then collapsed onto the couch next to her, the girl immediately fell against his side.

When his arm slipped between her back and the couch, she held her breath but didn't move otherwise. The palm of his hand rested against her hip once again and she wiggled her butt to get a little more comfortable on the couch next to him.

"I could probably find it, or at the very least the general direction in which it would be."

"Do you feel up for a walk in the woods?"

With her head lulling backwards, she huffed at him. The day was almost gone, the sun setting quickly now, leaving the sky to darken to night. The last thing she wanted to do in the cold, night, air was go hunting for some lame tree stump, however, hunting for something else was looking like a lot of fun.

When his lips brushed against her forehead, Sydney couldn't help but feel completely at ease. She knew finding the Nemeton was important to Peter and she could be a giant help to him. At the same time, she wasn't entirely up for leaving the apartment.

"A walk in the woods? At night?" She glanced up at him with a confused look on her face.

"Why not?"

"That's going against everything my grandma used to say," She paused and threw him a sneaky grin, "sounds like fun."

"Oh really?"

"Sure, maybe I can even find a rabbit or something to hunt." Now she was beaming at him.

"I was imagining more of a simple, leisurely stroll-"

"Rabbit hunting." She cut him off, still beaming.

"I'll watch you." Peter nodded, letting out a sigh of his own.

**_XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxX_**

The moon was bright and high in the sky; Sydney couldn't help but glance at it periodically, taking in the bright white of the moon glowing from the darkened heavens. She had latched on to Peter's arm and was walking just slightly ahead of him, looking for the trail that she hadn't exactly been on for a few years.

There were things in the woods that were vaguely familiar, unique rock formations or uncommon trees clustered together, maybe even in odd patterns. Either way, she was keeping her eyes wide, searching for anything that piqued her memory. They had been wandering for nearly half an hour, neither one saying a word, for fear that something, or someone, may hear them in the evening air.

Sydney was well aware that the hunters were not as big of a problem as they once were. The infamous Argents had somewhat retired, plus she knew that the young daughter of the one and only Chris Argent had aligned herself with Scott McCall. She wouldn't be a problem for Sydney anyways, the girl wasn't nearly as experienced as most of the hunters she'd encountered, and she certainly wasn't as intimidating as the alphas that Sydney had met in her lifetime.

The animals in the forest were a different story. She had heard about the rabid mountain lion that had been shot dead in the school parking lot, she was well aware that the alphas were lurking around Beacon Hills too and if she could easily avoid both, she'd be a happy camper.

It wasn't that she couldn't defend herself, which was far from the truth. She simply didn't want to _have_ to defend herself. So, as she tugged Peter along behind her, Sydney kept her eyes open for any sort of dangers, but also for fluffy little bunnies. She wasn't kidding about hunting down a rabbit.

When a gust of wind whipped at Sydney's hair, she jerked her head to the right and took a big, deep sniff of the air. Peter cocked his head at her but remained where he had been standing as she took off down a path to the right.

"Sydney!" He called out to her, not wanting to have to chase her down.

A low growl echoed from where she had just disappeared to and Peter clambered over the protruding tree roots and cautiously made his way slowly down the narrowed path Sydney had practically leapt through seconds earlier.

He knew it was her who had growled, she must have heard him call out to her, growling at him to warn him that she had heard him but she was too busy hunting bunnies to take their little field trip seriously.

Pushing branches out of the way, Peter carefully made his way deeper in to the woods, following the lingering scent of his alpha counterpart. It wasn't hard to locate her, when he emerged into a clearing minutes later, she had a rabbit hanging limply from her right hand, her canines had clearly shifted and her eyes were glowing a vibrant, fiery red. When she heard his footsteps, she turned to face him and tilted her head to the side, her werewolf features dissipating as he wandered towards her, glancing around at his surroundings.

"Caught yourself a rabbit I see."

"Thrill of the hunt." She shot back and he could pick up on her quickened heartbeat.

"What's next then, perhaps some sort of bird?" He teased.

"Are you stupid? I can't fly." She retorted and turned away from him, lifting the rabbit into the air.

He couldn't help but admire her strength as she drew back her arm and flung it forward, the rabbit carcass flying through the air and fading into the darkened forest. The body of the dead animal hit tree branches and leaves before landing with a loud thud on the ground, the sounds easily echoing back into the clearing.

"Another rabbit maybe?" He murmured, stepping up behind her.

She relaxed against him as his arms came around her, holding onto her from behind. She felt the last of her sharp canines disappear before dropping her head backwards and looking up at the dark sky, once again taking in the sight of the vibrant moon overhead.

With her heart still beating quicker than normal, she let out a chuckle and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to calm her breathing and ultimately lower her heart rate back down to a normal pace. Her own hands came to rest on top of his arms and she twisted in his hold slightly, feeling his fingers dig into her skin to hold her steady as she moved.

"Rabbits aren't very challenging." She said as she opened her eyes, her tone not much more than a breathy whisper.

"Are you an avid hunter?"

"Well no, I just meant in regards to size."

"Size?"

"Yeah, you don't have to wrestle with rabbits, bears on the other hand…" She trailed off, hoping he'd catch her drift. Hunting bears would involve using much more strength, much more speed and skill too. Bears were obviously more challenging to hunt than tiny little, practically harmless, rabbits.

"You've hunted bears before?"

"No." She hesitated and pulled his arms tighter around her body, curling against him further. "I was making a point. I've hunted a fox before, damn thing nearly took my fingers off."

Peter placed a chaste kiss on the side of her head and held on to her, tightly. She dropped her head back down and took a quick look around her. The clearing wasn't anything special, minus the fact that it was the place where she had caught her rabbit, but yet there was a familiarity about the circular area, where the trees surrounded nothing more than a flat forest floor.

Sydney caught Peter's gaze and threw a smirk onto her lips, giving his arms a gentle pat with her hands. He loosened his grip on her and she stepped forward, breaking all contact between them completely. When she latched her hand onto his, he tugged on her arm and pulled her back towards him.

She straightened up as he admired her standing just in front of him, his hand on hers before he slipped his fingers between hers, interlacing them. Her head jerked to the side as she took a deep breath, inhaling deeply.

"Do you smell that?"

Peter sniffed the air now too and narrowed his eyes on a small opening in the tree line. Sydney took a step towards it and pulled him behind her, the two of them both in hunting mode now as they walked towards the small pathway entrance.

"Blood." Peter muttered and he slowly moved around her, taking the lead and stepping through the opening in the trees in front of Sydney.

She wanted to believe he had done that for her benefit. If he was in front of her, he could protect her better, not that she needed it. It was a nice thought, but she knew it was more likely because he was excited to finally lay his eyes on the infamous Nemeton.

"It's stale though." She shot back, lagging behind him.

"Sacrificial blood." Peter called back over his shoulder.

His pace picked up and he pulled harder on her arm. Pushing the branches to the side, Peter cleared the pathway but Sydney still held her free arm over her eyes in case he missed a stick or a branch. She didn't want to take one in the eyeball that was for sure. Even if it would heal, it'd still hurt like hell.

She ducked her head down and let him pull her along behind her, keeping a decent pace as the two of them raced through the overgrown pathway hand in hand. She tried to keep her thoughts to herself, the branches scraping against her leather jacket, the overgrown weeds tangling with her legs, yet she continued to press forward, not wanting to get split up.

Losing Peter was the last thing she wanted, not while she was in the middle of the forest at night. If she ended up by herself, she'd maybe be able to make it out by morning but Sydney knew how hard it was to orientate herself in the forest when she couldn't see very well, even with her alpha night vision. It was a task she didn't want to have to set out to complete, as long as she stuck close to Peter, she'd be all right.

When Peter's body came to a halt, Sydney didn't stop in time and collided with him, propelling him a few more steps forward. When she regained her balance, she huddled against his back but moved with him as he walked into another clearing, this time a much larger clearing.

Sydney remained behind him, clutching his hand tightly as he moved closer to the giant tree stump in the centre of the clearing. Her eyes moved around, taking in her surroundings as best as she could with the bright moonlight shining down. It was when she noticed a pair of storm doors on the opposite side of the tree stump that she squeezed his hand, hard, and turned her body to face him.

"This is it, isn't it?" she asked softly, following him now as he sauntered towards the storm doors.

"It is."

She took a small jump forward and fell in stride next to him, the two of them closing the distance to the doors.

He stopped first and squatted down, pulling his hand away from hers and closing his palms around the worn, decaying handles. When the doors easily pulled open, Sydney took a step back and covered her nose, not enjoying the stale stench of rotting blood. Shaking her head, she forced herself to focus on the scent of the man in front of her, forcing the disgusting bloody smell out of her nose.

Glancing back at her, Peter threw her a smile and rose to his full height. She tucked her hands into the pockets on her jacket and held her breath as he walked forward, slowly, carefully making his way down the rickety wooden stairs.

She held back, hesitating and simply watching. It wasn't until his feet were safely on solid ground that she rushed forward, nearly hopping down the stairs for fear of falling through the decomposing boards that were once sturdy steps. Peter held his hand out towards her as she dropped her feet to the ground inside the root cellar, letting out a breath of relief for not having fallen through the boards.

Sydney chanced a glance around and shuddered at the sight. With not much more than a few wooden columns holding up old wooden beams in the ceiling, if she could even call the ground above her a ceiling, she did _not_ feel very safe at all. She didn't figure the place was anywhere close to be structurally sound yet Peter seemed unaffected by the state of the cellar. He was too focused on the actual tree roots snaking into the soil surrounding them.

Her eyes caught sight of many split and broken boards and she instantly moved so that her body was against Peter's. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and held on to her, moving them both towards the stump portion of the roots. Sydney looked at the pattern painted on the smooth, wooden surface of what was left of the tree and widened her eyes in realization.

"Five fold knot." She breathed out.

"This place is very important to Jennifer Blake."

"And you?" Sydney pondered, daring to move forward, putting the brunt of her weight on her one leg as she leaned in and examined the markings on the tree.

"Yes but only because it's important to her."

"This is where her power comes from." Sydney murmured as she laid a hand on the tree and tensed at the feeling.

She shut her eyes and took it all in, the power that flowed through her felt like an electric shock, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. She could feel her muscles straining as the feeling moved through her. There was no doubt that the tree in front of her was supernatural and powerful.

"This tree absorbs the power of her sacrifices, giving her the ability to use that power in whatever ways she pleases."

"So what are we doing here?" Sydney popped her eyes open and turned to look at him, a curious glint in her eyes. Peter leaned forward next to her and met her gaze.

"Knowing the location of this will be of great importance later."

"So we don't get to just burn it down now?" She asked seriously, removing her hand from the roots.

"Not yet, but don't get too upset, the time for that will come eventually."

Sydney nodded her understanding and pushed herself away from the tree, gaining her footing away from the roots. Peter followed her lead but turned around on the spot, studying the root cellar. She couldn't help but wonder about the Darach, how she came to be what she was. What in her life would push her to the supernatural, to the use of dark magic? Pushing the questions to the back of her mind, she looked up in time to see a clump of dirt peel away from the ceiling and fall to the floor leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.

Holding her breath for a second, she looked around, making sure it didn't happen elsewhere before quickly walking towards the stairs.

Peter locked his eyes on her, easily sensing her uneasiness. When he took note of her position, standing on the bottom step, he shook his head at her in amusement. Of course, his nearly fearless werewolf companion would be scared of the roof collapsing in on them, burying them alive, even if he knew the structure was safe enough for that to not happen, at least not without some help.

"We should go, it's getting late and I'm super tired." She forced the words out, trying to sound confident. The last thing she wanted to do was let him know directly that she was maybe a little bit afraid of being down, under the ground with nothing holding the forest floor above her but old, decrepit pieces of wood.

"Now Sydney, we both know that's not true." He smirked at her.

"Okay, well maybe I'm not super tired," She let out a shaky breath and moved up a step, setting her hands on her hips, "but I can promise you, if we leave here right now, I can make it worth your while when we get back to your place."

He stepped towards her and paused at the bottom of the stairs. His arms extended towards her and his palms came to rest just above where her hands were on her hips. Curling his fingers, he squeezed, digging his nails into her skin. Slowly but surely, Sydney took another step towards the surface, Peter following her every move. She continued up the stairs, his hands on her, her hands on her hips and before she knew it, she was standing on a large root just breaking the surface of the dirt covered, forest floor outside of the root cellar.

"Lead the way Sydney." He stated as he stood in front of her, on the last step, and looked down into her eyes.

She pulled out of his grip and watched as Peter shut the storm doors to the underbelly of the Nemeton. Before she knew it, he had turned around, took her hand in his and the two of them bee lined it back to the narrow pathway they had emerged from.

She couldn't get out of the forest quick enough. Being underneath the ground was enough of an adventure for her for one night and making it out of there alive was definitely something she was grateful for.

Now all she had to do was not get lost on the way out of the forest and she'd be golden.

**_What did you guys think? _ **


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